Open your eyes
by M.Stark
Summary: How did Clare Adams go from hating Tony Stark to falling in love with him? How did Tony Stark go from drunk playboy to loving father? Prequel to Through my Eyes.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry to everyone who has been waiting for another Morgan Stark story. But finally, here it is! This story is how Morgan's mother and Tony met. If you havn't read my first story, you can still read this one first. Up to you.  
So sorry again and please review. **

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own IronMan or any of the characters other than Morgan, Clare and Natalia. **

**CHAPTER 1**

**Clare**

I don't want to go tonight. I hate parties, they just aint my thing. I don't like drinking until I puke and can't walk straight. I like to have control over my actions and to be able to remember everything that happens during the night. When I'm drunk, I can't do those things.

I'd only ever gotten drunk once. Pretty sad considering I'm 23. Most people were drunk at 16. But I don't care because that one time I actually got drunk till I couldn't see straight was horrible. I hated it and regretted ever taking that first sip of wine.

But Natalia had asked me to go tonight and I felt guilty if I said no, especially since we'd been best friends since we were 13. I rarely said no to her. Plus she begged me to attend this high class shindig or whatever it was. Apparently there was a handsome billionaire she was trying to snag. I had a feeling I knew who this billionaire was. Tony Stark. Just thinking about him made me frown. I'd never really met him but I'd heard he had a bit of a reputation with women. I wished Natalia would stop wasting her time trying to chase him but when she had her mind set, she wasn't about to go and change it.

I'd seen the billionaire at a few parties I had (reluctantly) attended. This was because they had been 'business' parties. Both my parents work at Stark Industries and they had insisted on dragging me to some of the parties that had been held over the years. So I'd seen Tony Stark here and there but he'd never seen me (too busy chatting up women) but I didn't care. I felt kinda sorry for the guy, I mean, he lost both his parents in that horrible car accident. But from the way he acted, you'd think he'd forgotten about it.

I'd read that he'd taken over his family's company again, after that Obadiah Stane guy took care of it when his parents passed. So far it seemed like he was doing a good job, but only time could tell.

So because of Natalia, I was standing in my mirror, trying to make myself look half descent. It wasn't that I was an ugly woman, because I'm not. I stand at just over five foot six, my round face is softened by my blonde hair that naturally fell into waves that framed my face and finished just past my shoulder blades, I had piercing blue eyes that looked like the blue of the ocean, plump pink lips, not to mention my slim figure. But everyone had their off days, and my day was today.

With a defeated sigh, I pulled out my favourite midnight blue dress (it hugged my figure perfectly and brought out my eyes even more, a guaranteed way to boost my confidence)and stepped into it, slipping it up over my body. It was a simple blue strapless dress with some beading around the edges at the bottom. I sat down in front of my small vanity table I recently acquired at a second hand store. It was a deep mahogany shade and had a few draws and a medium sized mirror to see yourself in. I loved it.

So I plopped myself down on the little stool and began putting on some light makeup. I never like seeing those types of girls where it's piled on a mile thick so I always kept it light and natural. After that I began braiding my fringe, pulling it and the rest of my hair into a loose, messy bun. I slipped in a few 'diamonds' to make it sparkle. I smiled to my reflection in the mirror. That's when I spotted the nasty bruise around my wrist. I cringed at the memory of how I received it. I pushed back a few tears that threatened to fall and picked up a silver, chunky bracelet. It was just the right size to cover up the purple skin.

I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. I almost felt like backing out but at that exact moment Natalia's voice echoed throughout out little one story flat. We had moved in together 2 years ago after I'd finished my Journalism courses at University. Natalia was still doing her medical degree at UCLA . I really wanted to get my own place but since Natalia was still at Uni, it was hard for her to support herself.

"Are you ready yet?" She popped her head around the corner with a small grin playing on her features.

I took one more deep breath before standing up from my stool and grinning to my room mate. "Yep,"

Natalia stepped into the room, and spun on the spot to show off her new aqua green dress. She looked amazing, as always. Natalia was about 3 inches shorter than me (but with the heels she was wearing, tonight she was about 3 inches taller than me), she had chestnut brown hair that had been cut recently into a bob that ended just above her shoulders, her brilliant green eyes always reminded me of the forest and like myself, she was naturally thin.

"Well come on then! The sooner we get there, the sooner I can snag me some hunky billionaire!" Natalia was practically bouncing with anticipation. I hoped she wasn't just setting herself up for disappointment.

Like my own parents, Natalia's father worked at Stark Industries (her mum passed away last year), so she'd seen Tony for the first time a couple months ago at one of his parties. Instantly she was smitten and determined to make him hers. I wished her luck but knew it was a failure from the start. No one woman was going to tie Tony Stark down.

"Okay, okay! I'm ready, let's go!" I grabbed my small black purse from my small single sized bed and followed her out the door. Our flat was small but still...homey. The living room and kitchen were practically one room but I didn't mind (I was never much of a chef). Just to the back left of the living room were three doors. The left one was Natalia's room, the middle was our only bathroom and the right was my bedroom. That was it. Our small little flat. I'd tried to liven up the place a bit by putting up some colourful works of art on the grey walls but I don't think it did much. Of course, it would have been easy to just take the money our parents were offering us (working at Stark Industries was a well paid career) to buy a new and better place to live but we didn't want to begin our lives by using their money. We wanted to do it on our own, even if it meant working from the ground up.

I shut the door to my room, did the same to Natalia's room and followed her out the front door. We didn't really live in the safest part of Los Angeles so I always made sure to double check that I'd lock the door. We hailed down a cab easily and slid into the backseat. Natalia gave the guy the address while I tried to stop thinking about tonight. I would stay for a few hours but as soon as Natalia was distracted, I'd be gone. I know she didn't have a problem with this, because it wouldn't be the first time I'd done it. She kinda expected it now I guess. I'd be in the PJ's by the time she got home (IF she got home that night. I'd caught her sneaking back in the morning after a few times).

It took us about 20 minutes to reach the party, and in that time Natalia had not stopped talking about Tony Stark. She'd barley said two words to the guy and she was already gushing about him as if they'd been dating! It kinda annoyed me, and I could see the taxi driver was feeling the same way. As we pulled up outside and gave him his money, I knew he was glad to see us go. Well, Natalia as least.

As we began walking up the small red carpet that had been laid out, photographers (more like paparazzi) began clicking away at their cameras. The flashes were blinding but they didn't worry me. Once they figured out that we weren't really _somebody_, the photos would never make it to print.

We pulled out our tickets and ID's at the door for the big, burly security guy to check. After he checked the tickets were real and made sure our ID's were too, he swung open the door and let us pass. Immediately the music could be heard. They'd tried to make it sound classy but the hip hop rhythm could still be heard weaving through the song. High class parties like this was just another excuse for people to get drunk, including Natalia. I wanted to keep an eye out for her but that was always such a hard thing to do. As soon as we entered the room, he head was bobbing to the music while searching for the bar and no doubt for Tony Stark.

Her face fell slightly as she scanned the entire room and the man in question was no where to be seen. I thought I heard a small sigh escape her lips but in the next second she was smiling just was brightly as she had before he entered.

"Come on, let's go dance!" She began tugging on my hand, pulling me towards the dance floor but I was having none of that. I yanked my hand from her grasp before she got me any closer.

"I don't think so, you know I don't dance," I folded my hands across my chest. She looked into my eyes and began pouting. "Oh no, that look's not gunna work this time. You go ahead, have fun. I'll be by the bar,"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders before weaving through the crowd to get through to the dance floor. I smiled slightly at her eagerness before I began weaving through the crowd in the opposite direction she had taken. It only took me a minute to see the bar, with a few people mingling around it. As I approached the bar, I noticed the bartender behind it was giving me a look. I know that look. It's the _"Shit, she looks hot. Look at those boobs!"_ look. Since God had been generous in _that_ department, I got those looks all the time.

"A mineral water thanks," I asked politely while trying to ignore the leering look in his eyes. He nodded his head and turned to fetch me my drink.

I opened up my purse and grabbed some of the notes I'd pushed in there but as he returned with my glass, he set it in front of me with a wink. "On the house,"

I gave him what I hoped was a polite smile (it felt more like a grimace to me), before turning on my heel and walking away. I only went a few meters away from the bar, leaning against the wall. I didn't want to sit at one of the tables (it made me feel alone to be sitting by myself), somehow standing among the crowd made me feel less lonely. I spotted Natalia through the crowd and waved with my free hand. She waved back before inclining her head at the gorgeous man she was dancing with_, already._ Hopefully that meant she'd forgotten about that Tony Stark.

I had to admit, I was envious about how easily Natalia could pick up men. I got the looks and was approached by men but either they all seemed like the one-night-stand type or they were just plain drunk. Not my idea of a date.

I took a few sips from my glass as my body began swaying slightly to the music. Just as I began wondering if I should go out there and dance with Natalia, someone spoke from beside me. I jumped slightly because I hadn't seen anyone approach me.

"Well, hello beautiful," It was a male voice and sounded smooth.

I turned my head to see someone I never though I would see standing beside me. Tony Stark. Shit.

"Hi." I said curtly, looking away from him back to the crowd. I spotted Natalia again and desperately hoped she wouldn't look this way. If she saw me even standing beside Tony Stark, she would go ballistic.

"Why is someone as pretty as yourself standing here alone?" He grinned at me as I looked back at him. He was resting against the wall as I was.

"Because I don't want to dance," I hoped my rude and brief answer was enough to make him see I wasn't interested and buzz off.

His grin got even bigger (if that was possible) and he slid closer to me. I had to admit as I stared at him, he was quite...handsome. And sexy. Quickly, I shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking like that.

"How about if you dance with me?"

"No thanks," I took another sip of my mineral water and angled my body so I was facing slightly away from him.

There was a silence between us as I tried to look anywhere but his face. I kept my eyes glued on a dancing couple but that soon was lost as he moved away from the wall and stood in front of me. I could tell he wasn't trying to be intimidating or dominating, he was simply curious.

"What is your name?" He asked me gently, looking straight into my eyes. Geez, people would have looked away by now but he kept his gaze squarely on me and my ocean blue eyes.

I sighed. I guess it couldn't hurt if I told him my name. "Clare Adams"

"I'm-"

I cut him off before the words had even left his lips.

"Anthony Stark. I know,"

He beamed at me. Why wasn't he leaving? Surely he would have seen he wasn't going to get anywhere with me. Why hadn't he already left to find an easier target?

"You can call me Tony. Would you be interested in going out to dinner some time?" He was trying to be a gentleman but it wasn't working on me.

With a exasperated sigh, I pushed myself up off the wall and turned my body so I was only inches away from him. "No, I am not interested in going out to dinner with you. Go find some other floozy to pick up,"

I placed my half empty glass on a nearby table and stalked away, leaving a shocked Tony Stark behind me. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of his face.

I had to admit, I felt kind of bad at the way I spoke to him. I was normally never that rude but his playboy ways were widely known I wasn't about to become just another notch on his bedpost. I wasn't that girl.

I wound my way through the increasing crowd until I saw Natalia sitting at one of the tables by the dance floor alone. With a sigh of relief, I approached her quickly and sat down in the empty chair next to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Natalia was looking at me intently. I hadn't realised I was showing any emotion on my face.

I groaned slightly and sunk further into the chair. "Nothing,"

She looked over me once again but I gave her a look that said 'Drop it'. I tried not to look angry but for some strange reason, that's how I felt. And for the same strange reason, I was angry at Natalia. If Natalia hadn't been so set on Tony Stark, I could have...talked to him. I wouldn't have actually _done_ anything with him but it was nice to dream. But no, Natalia would kill me if she even knew I'd _talked_ to him. If I'd even _looked_ at him! So now I was sitting there angry, staring at all the dancing couple, when I could have been one of them, dancing with Tony Stark.

I took some deep breaths. This wasn't Natalia's fault. I was just looking for someone to blame. I should be glad that she fancied him. If not for that, I'd probably still be standing over there with Tony being flirted out of my mind. And people's self control can only last for so long.

"Where's that guy you were dancing with?" I asked Natalia. She was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, her foot tapping to the beat of the music.

"Oh, he said he was going to get us some drinks," She was smiling brightly. We both looked through the crowd and spotted the blonde haired hunk she had danced with. He was heading our way with two drinks in his hands. I watched as Natalia's hands flew to her hair to make sure it was still looking good.

I sighed and stood of from the chair. "Well, I'm heading home. I'm starting to get a headache,"

Natalia looked up at me with sad eyes. "Aw, you're leaving already? We didn't even get to hunt down the Starkster!"

I froze. After a few moments I forced myself to speak. "Sorry but I just really want to get home. Do you have your key?" She nodded her head. "Okay, I'll see you later,"

Natalia jumped out of her seat and pulled me into a hug, making sure not to crush her dress. The next second she had let me go and turned around because the hunky guy had reached the table. I spun on my heel and left the two of them.

I was walking as quickly as I could through the crowd. All I wanted to do was leave. As the door came into my view, a hand enclosed around my wrist and my breath caught in my throat. I thought it would be Tony Stark but as I turned around, I found my suspicions were wrong. It was a drunken stranger. A grin was evident on his face.

"Hey Babe. How 'bout coming home with me?" He released my wrist but put his arm around my waist. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Get your hands off me!" I tried to squirm out of his grasp but it was no use, he was holding me too tightly. It was starting to hurt. "Let me go!" The panic was clear in my voice.

I could feel his hand sliding down my back towards my backside. At the same time he was leaning in as if to kiss me. Suddenly a hand shot out of no where, grabbing the drunken man's wrist in a tight hold.

"Let her go now." I looked over to see who had spoken and grabbed the man. Tony Stark was standing there, his hand squeezing the man's wrist tight. Anger was written all over his face.

"Fine!" The man released my waist and moved to stand in front of Tony. "Let go of my wrist man,"

For a moment I thought Tony was going to hit the guy but after a second he removed his hand from the man and told him to leave immediately. His tone was not one to be messed with. The man gave him a glare before turning and walking through the doors.

Tony watched the guy go with a hateful look before gazing down at me, his look softening. "Are you alright?"

"Uh...yeah," Luckily the guy hadn't grabbed my already bruised wrist. That would have hurt like hell. "Thank you Tony. Umm...sorry if I was a bit rude to you earlier,"

Tony merely shrugged and smiled at me. His smile was amazing. "Don't worry about it."

Before he could offer another dinner again (I think I might have accepted if he did), I straightened my dress and looked up at him. "Well, I really have to be going. Thank you again Tony," I smiled warmly to him and turned to stroll out the open doors.

I half expected him to call me back or run after me but he didn't. I tried to stop myself from being disappointed. As I walked out into the chilly night air, I hoped the man inside had left and not lingered around waiting for me.

I hailed down a cab on the curb and was soon heading home. As I walked in the door, my phone inside my purse began buzzing. I sat on the couch and fished through my purse until I found my phone. I flipped it open and the caller ID read 'James'. Immediately I pushed the end call button and the phone stopped buzzing. James was the last person on Earth I wanted to talk to. I hoped I never saw his face ever again, bastard.

I retreated to my bedroom where I began talking out my hair. I let it fall down into waves and grabbed my favourite pink pyjamas from my bedside table draw. I moved to the bathroom where I changed and took off my makeup.

I emerged from the bathroom, double checked that I'd locked the front door and went to my bedroom. As I slipped down under the covers, I couldn't stop my brain from thinking about Tony Stark. Yes the man was handsome and charming but he was a player. But I couldn't stop thinking maybe I should have given him a chance? I told myself to stop thinking about him. By tomorrow morning he will have forgotten all about me and I will never see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**Tony**

Another night, another party. Don't get me wrong, I love parties just as much as the next man but going to them night after night can put stress on anyone's body. My head was still throbbing from last nights one. Boy, had _that _been a party! I'd had so many drinks that I couldn't even remember some parts of the night. Rarely did that happen to me. Amazingly, I'd woken up alone so that meant I didn't take anyone home with me. But that might change tonight. Hot girls always attended these business parties.

I pulled my favourite blue shirt out from the closet and quickly buttoned it up. After that came a black jacket and bow tie. As I tied up my bow, I tried to imagine someone doing it for me. Like a wife. I found myself staring into the mirror for a few minutes before I shook myself from those thoughts. I didn't know what was causing them, but for the past few months I'd been feeling lonely. And it was a lonely feeling that wouldn't be fixed by a few one night stands (I'd tried but it didn't work). That had led me to start thinking about what my life would be like if I stopped sleeping around and actually tried to have a proper relationship with a women. I would have to find the perfect women but I just couldn't see that happening.

I closed the closet door, ran a hand through my hair and picked up my phone from my bedside table. As I exited my room, I turned right but my gaze fell upon the end of the hallway. Ugh. Ever since I moved into this new house I'd been doing that. It had been almost a month since I moved in here but I was still turning right. It was annoying but the house was so damn good I was just going to have to get use to it. I turned left and walked down the stairs. The view from this place was amazing. Every morning I woke up to views of the beach and every night I got an amazing sunset. Plus this place had the best garage. Huge. All my cars could fit inside plus I still had more than half the room left over. It cost over $16 million dollars but it was worth every penny. But the place seemed empty. I'd been thinking over the idea of creating an Artificial Intelligence system for the place.

I checked my watch and saw that I was late. Really late. I jumped down the steps two at a time and pushed in my new code for the garage door. It opened with a little beep and I quickly entered. Most of my cars were already parked and gleaming brightly but there were a few empty spots which I was eager to fill with some new ones. I stood there for a second, admiring them all before I unlocked my Saleen S7 and revved her engine. It sounded beautiful.

Within a few minutes I was flying down the freeway, well above the speed limit. Horns beeped as usual but I continued at my speed until I'd reached my destination. As I pulled up out front, a valet ran up to the side of the car. I chucked the keys to him as I emerged from the car and headed for the door. The moment the press realised who had arrived, the flashing bulbs began. I smiled and inclined my head towards them but sped up my pace. Soon I was at the front door and strolling through. The security guard knew better to stop and check my ID.

The sight of the dance floor and talking couples was all too familiar. My eyes instantly scanned the crowd in search of any good looking women. There was quite a few but I decided to get a drink first. My mood for partying was suddenly gone.

I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the people that tried to make me stop and talk. I didn't care about seeming rude. I just wanted a drink. Relief swam through me as the bar came into my view. And luckily for me there were only a few people waiting. After only a minute my vodka shot was handed to me, Thank God. I downed it quickly and asked for another. As I threw my head back and felt the burn of the alcohol as it went down my throat, something caught my eye. I set the shot glass down upon the bar and search for what had caught my attention. That's when I saw her. I wasn't one to believe in the whole "Love at first sight" crap, but there was definitely something about her that had stirred an emotion deep down inside him.

She had a drink in her hand (looked like mineral water) and was leaning up against the wall, almost as if she was bored. She was the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She was wearing a figure hugging blue dress, her blonde hair was up in a bun and as she scanned the room, I saw her eyes were a piercing, crystal blue. She was stunning.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I was leaning against the wall beside her. "Well, hello beautiful," I was surprised at how smooth and level my voice was. Inside I was a mess. No woman had ever done this to me before. I watched as she looked to see who had spoken, her eyes widening when she realised who I was. But a second later her face was neutral, not showing any emotion.

"Hi." Her response was brief and curt. Her gaze went from my face back to the crowd. I began to wonder why she didn't want to talk to me. By now, most women would be tripping over themselves to even look at me. But that fact that she wasn't only made me more determined to get her.

"Why is someone as pretty as yourself standing here alone?" I prayed that she didn't have a boyfriend. Even if she did, I wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Because I don't want to dance," She barely glanced over at me as she answered . I studied her closely as she kept her eyes from looking anywhere but my face. It was clear she wanted me to leave but I didn't. I grinned to her as she looked my way and shuffled closer to her, still resting my shoulder against the wall.

"How about if you dance with me?" I was using all of my charm now, but she looked as uninterested as she had a second before.

"No, thanks." She replied, repositioning herself ever so slightly. Now her body angled away from me.

Okay, this wasn't going like I planned. Why was she so uninterested in me? I didn't get it. I was good looking, smart, rich, great in bed. What else did she want? Her resisting me only made me want her more. But there was this unknown feeling inside me. I didn't want her just for a one night stand. I wanted to get to know everything about her. I didn't know what was happening to me. Why was I feeling this way?

"What is your name?" I asked her as I moved to stand in front of her, forcing her gaze upon me. I stared into her amazing blue eyes. They reminded me of the ocean.

"Clare Adams." Clare...what a beautiful name. It suited her perfectly.

I opened my mouth to tell her mine (Of course she already knew) but before I could even get two words out, she had cut across me. No one had ever done_ that_ before.

"Anthony Stark. I know," The way my name rolled off her tongue sent shivers up my spine. And why did she call me Anthony? Everyone called me Tony. The only person to ever call me Anthony was...my mother.

I grinned at her. It was in that moment that I resolved that I would not rest until she agreed to go out with me.

"You can call me Tony. Would you be interested in going out to dinner some time?"

I watched her sigh and picked herself up from leaning against the wall. "No, I am not interested in going out to dinner with you. Go find some other floozy to pick up," And with that she put her glass on a table and stalked off.

I could feel the shocked written all over my face. No one had ever said that to me before. At least not before I slept with them. After they realised I wasn't ever going to call them...well that's when the rude names began.

But this girl was different. And I liked it. And no matter how many things she called me, I wasn't going to give up.

Just as she left, someone else took her place. A small woman with long red hair was grinning up to me, battering her eyelashes. I tried to at least smile but that was a hard thing to do right now. Instead I simply spun around and headed for the bar, again. After two more vodka shots and bourbon I was done. Normally I would have drunk at least three times that before I stopped but I didn't want to be drunk tonight. Not if Clare was here. I wanted to impress her and judging by her drink, she didn't drink a lot of alcohol. I kind of admired her for that. A lot of woman these days were getting pissed off their faces and it wasn't a good look for them. Granted, I did get drunk a lot but it looked worse on a woman.

I began to run ideas through my mind. What would make Clare say yes to me? Money? Clothes? Jewellery? Probably not. She didn't seem like that kinda girl. And that's exactly what I like about her. If she was with me, I would know it wasn't just because she wanted my money.

I sighed. I had to do something but what?

I'd barely spoken to this girl for 5 minutes and I couldn't get her out of my mind.

I began walking around the vast room, hoping for a glimpse of Clare. With the amount of people in this room, it seemed unlikely. My spirits began to dip. All of a sudden, all I wanted to do was leave. I'd barely been at this party for half an hour and I already wanted to go. I didn't know what was happening to me. Normally if a girl rejected me (which was VERY rare) I'd just move on to the next girl. But Clare had definitely rejected me and now I wanted to go home, to what? Sulk?

I was angry at myself now.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as the door came into view. I immediately made a bee-line for it. Just when I thought I was home free, a familiar voice pulled me back.

"Get your hands off me! Let me go!" Clare's voice was full of panic and anger. As I spun around, the only thing I saw was a drunken idiot with his hands around Clare. Anger instantly flared up inside me. I wanted to go over there and punch the guys' lights out. His arm was wrapped around Clare's waist and from the looks of it, he was holding on tight. Tight enough to hurt Claire because her face was twisted in pain.

I marched up to the drunken man and grabbed his wrist in a tight hold. I resisted the urge to just snap his wrist, it would be so much easier. "Let her go now."

The man looked up in surprise but his expression quickly turned to fear as he saw the rage on my face. After a moment he removed his hand from Clare's waist he took a step forward. "Fine! Let go of my wrist man!"

For a moment I thought about punching his face but as my eyes flickered slightly to Clare, I released his wrist from my grasp. I didn't want to do anything like scare her or make her think I'm an even bigger idiot than she already thought I was.

"Leave. Now." My voice was dripping with fury. I was still suppressing the urge to beat him into the ground. The man opened his mouth to retort but he snapped it back shut and turned to leave, not before giving me one last glare. I returned it with one of my own.

We both watched him leave the building as I tried to calm down before I spoke to Clare. Seeing that man with his hands all over Clare had clicked something inside me. Primal instincts to protect the one you love. Wait...? Did I just say I loved Clare? I meant like. But still, seeing another man's hands on Clare, even if she wanted it, would drive me crazy.

"Are you alright?" I asked gently, gazing down into her eyes.

"Uh...yeah," She replied, gingerly looking down at her wrist. I guess he grabbed her there first before he went for her waist. Damn it. If I'd just been quicker then that wouldn't have happened. "Thank you Tony. Umm...sorry if I was a bit rude to you earlier,"

I tried not to smile. Only someone as nice as her would apologize to me. Most people came back to yell and insult some more, not apologize. A few strands of her hair had come loose as she struggled with the man and I resisted the urge to lean in close and push them behind her ear.

I shrugged with a grin. "Don't worry about it."

I wondered if she'd accept my dinner date if I offered again. As if she had read my thoughts, she fixed her dress and smiled to me. "Well, I really have to be going. Thank you again Tony."

Before I even opened my mouth, she had turned on her heel and was exiting the building. As I watched her retreating figure, several things ran through my mind. Should I call out to her? Should I go out after her?

But it was too late. She had descended down the steps, out of sight. I remembered the drunken man who had left only a minute before she had. My feet were instantly in motion, running towards the door. But as I looked out onto the street, I saw Clare safe and sound as she hailed down and slid into the back seat of a taxi. I watched her mouth move as she said her destination and the taxi began to pull away from the curb. Before it drove out of sight, I caught a glimpse of something on Clare's face. She looked...disappointed. Why would she be disappointed? Had she wanted me to go after her? Maybe I'd seen wrong in the darkness. She'd rejected me, why would she be disappointed?

I sighed. This night sure as hell didn't go as I'd planned. But I couldn't help but think maybe I'd gotten something more tonight. I'd met Clare, and that seemed to be one of the best things that had happened to me lately. Sure, she didn't see it that way, but one day she would. I wasn't going to give up.

I walked down the steps swiftly and approached the valet. He instantly ran off to fetch my car. I had barely been standing on the curb for 20 seconds when someone approached me.

"Tony! How are you?" A busty blonde in a tight red dress was standing there smiling at me. A second later she took a step forward and twisted a lock of her hair around her index finger. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. I hated to disappoint her but she wasn't gunna get any from me. Only one woman was on my mind.

"Good...Kristy?" I knew for a fact her name was Sarah, I just wanted her to leave as possible and this was the best way to do it.

"Sarah." She said, her face falling slightly. But she stepped even closer until our bodies were touching. She than ran her hands up and down my chest while grinning up at me. My patience was wearing thin but luckily my Saleen S7 came around the corner in the next second. Relief flooded through me.

"Sorry, Selma but I have to go." I smiled warmly and extracted myself, stepping away from her. The valet exited my car and I pulled out a twenty to tip him.

From the sidewalk I heard her whine, "It's Sarah!" I tried not to laugh. People really had to learn when its time to give up. Before I started my car, I glanced over to see Sarah stalking off back inside the building. A bark of laughter escaped my lips before my car roared into life and my foot hit the gas pedal.

I took it slower on the way back. I wanted more time to think. How could I convince Clare to go on a date with me? She wasn't like any other girl I'd met. I'd have to approach this differently. Instead of trying to charm and woo her, I'd have to show I was a gentleman. She'd heard all the stories about me and that probably is what is keeping her from saying yes to me. She didn't want to be a one night stand, there and gone. Many girls didn't care if that was all they were. But she did care and I respected her for that. I just had to show her I wanted her to be more than that. I can't explain why I was sure I wanted more from her, I didn't know why, I just knew I did. So I couldn't just jump into bed with her, or _expect_ her to jump into bed with me. I'd only had a few, very short relationships in my life so I didn't really know how to show and treat a woman who I actually _wanted_ to see again. But I'd have to learn quickly. Flowers, I know women like flowers. Maybe that was the first step in my plan.

Soon I was over my thinking and was back to speeding down the freeway. Luckily I was less than 2 miles from my house. I was anxious to start on my _Get Clare to go Out With Me_ plan. As I pulled into my garage, I was glad to see that I'd remembered to setup all my computers last week. They were a crucial part of my plan.

Hurriedly, I parked my S7 and was out the door in the next second. I switched on one of my many computers. I was glad I'd reprogrammed it to boot up instantly because I didn't feel like waiting tonight. I wanted to get started on this A.S.A.P. As my desktop screen popped up, I double clicked on the internet icon. I decided the best place to start was the easiest place; Google.

As I typed in 'Clare Adams' into the search engine, I began to worry slightly. What if I found something I didn't want to know. What if she was really 40 years old with good Botox? What if she was an ex con who had just gotten out of jail after being sentence for murder? What if she was a man?

Okay, now I was letting my imagination run wild a bit. I'm sure Clare is a nice ordinary woman with no skeletons in her closet. At least, I hope she was.

Amazingly, Google had no results. Well, it had no results on the Clare Adams I was looking for. That was odd. Normally you could find someone's address and even sometimes phone number on Google. She had no facebook, no myspace, no twitter. Nothing. Okay that was weird. Even_ I_ had a facebook page, granted, I hardly even went on it, but I still had one.

I sat there for a second, deciding what I had to do. I didn't really want to hack into any databases like the FBI but if that was the only way I was going to get information, then so be it.

It wasn't long until I was reading Clare's page on the FBI secret database. And the things I read made my blood boil.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**Clare**

I felt crap the next morning. I hadn't drunk one drop of alcohol but it still felt like I had a hangover, well, what I _think_ a hangover would feel like. I'd only had one hangover and I'd done my best to forget it.

I became aware of a loud beeping noise that was sounding next to my bed. A groan escaped my lips as I swung my arm to the bedside table and slammed down the off button for the alarm. I don't recall why I had set the alarm, there was no need for me to be up at 8 today. I wasn't rostered on for work, I had finished all our housework (we took it in turns, although most of the time I ended up doing it all) and I didn't have any plans for today. Why bother getting out of bed?

Just as I was considering going back to sleep, there was a knock at my door. I pulled the covers over my head as I heard the door swing open and someone bound inside.

"Come on! Rise and shine!" Natalia's voice was bouncy and bright. I felt the end of my bed sag under her weight as she seated herself down upon it. I couldn't understand how someone could be up at this time _and_ cheerful after the drinking she must have done last night. At least she'd come home last night, or early this morning. I didn't hear her get in last night so it was most likely early morning when she arrived back home. I didn't need three guesses to know what she had been up to.

"Mhmnmmm," I mumbled back to her. Normally I was a morning person but today I felt like the total opposite. Suddenly the image of Tony Stark popped into my head. I had no clue why but I quickly banished the image and threw back the bed covers. I stifled a yawn behind my hand before slowly sitting up in bed, allowing my eyes to adjust to the shining light. "How was your night?"

Natalia sat crossed legged on the end of my bed, already dressed and made up. At my question, she blushed slightly but a grin crept upon her face. "It was good," She replied nonchalantly. I could see she was about to burst and spill all the details (and I mean _all_ the details) about last night and the man she spent it with, so I quickly swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. I wobbled slightly with the head rush that came from standing up too quickly but I ignored it and staggered over to my closet. "Well, that's great. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'm just gunna pop into the shower!"

But Natalia didn't get the hint and remained on the edge of my bed.

"Oh Clare, he was gorgeous, as you saw, but I meant gorgeous naked. And he did this amazing thing in bed where he-"

I quickly threw my hands up to the head and cupped them over my ears. "La la la la! Cant hear you!" I swiftly moved from my room into the bathroom which was situated right next to our bedrooms. As I shut the door I heard Natalia exit my room and go back into hers. Sighing with relief, I turned to study myself in the small mirror on the bathroom wall, just above the sink. Next to the sink was the toilet and along the back wall was the shower.

I had small bags under my eyes, my hair looked like a birds nest and I hadn't fully taken off my mascara last night, resulting in panda eyes. Great look. I stripped off and jumped into the shower. The cold water hit me like a blast. I should expect it after living here for over 7 months but it still made me jump slightly, and of course, shiver. But soon the hot water kicked in and it became a warm, normal shower. I let the hot water sooth my aching back muscles as I lathered up my hair. I spent a few minutes just standing under the spray of the water, feeling it running down my body. I closed my eyes and tried to banish all the thoughts from my head but that was impossible.

As I rinsed the remaining conditioner from my hair, I thought I heard a squeal in the other room but I couldn't be sure if I heard it or not. I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around my body, stepping out of the tiny shower cubicle. I grabbed another smaller towel and quickly wrung out my hair, then fluffing it with the towel so it fell in wet waves.

Since I didn't know what we were doing today, I hadn't grabbed any clothes, just a red bra and matching undies. Natalia doesn't mind since we have to walk from the bathroom to our bedrooms most days in our undies. I wiped the fog off the mirror and made sure my panda eyes had vanished. Grabbing my towel, I opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

I spotted Natalia sitting on the couch. But there was someone sitting beside her. I let out a squeak of surprise and embarrassment and hastily wrapped the towel around my midsection. When I was covered, I looked up and felt my jaw drop. Sitting beside Natalia on my couch was Tony Stark. Okay, I _must_ be dreaming.

The room was silent but Tony was sitting there with a small smile on his face. Oh crap. He'd seen me in my panties! Without a word, I turned on my heel and strode into my bedroom, shutting the door as soon as I was inside. I rested my back against the door as I took in everything that had just happened. Sitting on the couch with Natalia was Tony Stark, who had just seen me almost naked. Fantastic.

Why was he even here? I'd made it clear last night that I had no interest in him. Why hadn't he moved on? Surely he didn't show up on people's doorstep when they rejected him?

I groaned and moved over to my closet. I grabbed the first thing I saw, a pair of jeans and a dark blue V neck shirt. Once I was dressed, I starting wondering what I was going to say when I remerged. I wanted to stay in my room but that would be acting like a child. I had to go out sooner or later.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my door and was welcomed by the sight on Tony and Natalia in the exact same positions I'd left them in. I walked a few steps to the centre of the room, but still staying a few meters away from the pair of them. I wondered how Natalia was sitting there so calm. I'm surprised she wasn't bouncing around or straddling him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

He was sitting on the edge of the couch, his hands upon his knees and staring at me with great interest. "I was wondering if you were free today?" He smiled gently to me.

My eyes narrowed. He came here to ask me out, again? Why was he so intent on getting me to go out with him? Did he really want to get to know me or just want a screw? I don't think Tony Stark would go as far as going to random girl's homes just to get laid.

I didn't want to risk it. I couldn't stand being humiliated if I let my guard down and ended up being just another girl to him. "Uhhh...sorry. Me and Natalia were...going out shopping today."

I shot a secret look to Natalia, hoping she would pick up on my desire not to go. She picked up on it, she just decided to ignore it. With a bright smile she looked over at Tony, "Oh no, don't worry about that. We can go another time Clare. You go out and have fun!" God, she sounded like my mother on my first date.

I resisted the urge to stomp over there and smack her over the head.

"Brilliant! I'll wait for you outside," Tony grinned to me as he stood and walked to the door. As soon as he had closed it behind him, I pounced on Natalia.

"What the hell are you doing? I don't want to go out with him! Why did you even let him in?" I had moved over to the couch to stand in front of her, staring down at her.

"Why didn't you tell me you had talked to him last night?" Amazingly, she didn't sound angry, just curious. I thought she would be furious at me.

"I asked you a question! Why did you let him in?"

"Because he showed up and asked to see you. We talked a bit while you were in the shower. Apparently you were rude to him last night. I hope you didn't act like that because of me," Natalia looked at me with questioning eyes. I flopped into a near-by armchair with a moan.

"Of course I did! I thought you would be so angry if I talked to him. You like him so much Natalia," I was rubbing my temples with my fingers, closing my eyes with my head to the ceiling.

"Yes but I never even met the guy. This isn't like high school where if you like someone, he's off limits to other. He likes you and that's that. Besides, if it couldn't be me, I'm glad its you!" She beamed at me and jumped up from the couch, taking my hands in hers and pulling me to my feet. "I know you think he's a sleaze bag but just give him one chance. Please. He seems to really like you."

I rolled my eyes and threw my hands in the air. "Fine! I'll go!"

I stalked back into my room to grab my bag. I emptied my purse contents from last night into the bag, making sure my ID, phone and money were in there. I turned and looked in my full length mirror. I wasn't going to get dressed up for this. I fluffed my hair a bit then exited my room. Natalia was practically bouncing with joy as I gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Have a good time!" She called out as I opened the door. Again, she sounded like a parent.

I shut the door behind me and walked down the few steps to the street. I suddenly became embarrassed that this was where I lived. I'm sure Tony Stark lived in some mansion and here I was in one of the worst parts of LA. I was surprised to see a shiny blue car with white racing stripes parked on the curb. I was expecting a limousine!

"Okay, let's get this over with." I sighed but secretly inside I was excited. I was still wary of him but I couldn't deny this was like a dream come true.

"Good Morning to you too." I would have thought he was angry if he hadn't been smiling when he said it. "I'm paying for everything today so you won't need that." He said, inclining his head towards my large black bag I had strung over my shoulder.

"Yeah, but it's where I keep my pepper spray, and I may need that," I smiled sweetly at him, but I still kept up some of my defence.

Tony let out a bark of laughter before he reached his hand out and opened the passenger door as I approached him. With a nod of gratitude, I tried to slide in gracefully. Amazingly, I did.

I watched in the rear view mirror as he strode around the back of the car and got in his side. Today he was wearing a pair of black jeans and a simple gray shirt. He looked so...ordinary. Okay, that was the wrong statement. Tony could never look ordinary; he was too good looking for that. But amazingly, he looked normal. I don't know what billionaires normally wear but it looked odd to see him like that. So relaxed.

As he started the car, I was amazed at how it sounded. The only car I'd ever owned had been a lemon (before it died completely), so the only car sound I was familiar with was a guttural dying sound or the loud cough of a taxi engine. But this car, it purred. To me it sounded amazingly quiet.

"What kinda car is this?" I asked, breaking the silence in the car. It hadn't been awkward or anything, I just wanted to fill the silence.

"It's a Saleen S7." He replied, glancing from the road over to me.

That was gibberish to me. "Uhh...you realise I have no idea what you just said."

There was a moment of silence before we both starting laughing. The sound of his laugh was oddly familiar, as if I'd heard it before. As we both took deep breaths and calmed down, it hit me how easy this was. Talking to him, being around him. Most girls wouldn't know what to say or how to act in front of him but I didn't worry about that for a second. It came naturally, like I'd known how to do this all my life.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, curious. We were driving down ordinary LA streets. I prayed he wasn't taking me anywhere fancy, where steaks cost $150. I was hardly dressed for something like that. But now I thought about it, neither was he. So hopefully it was somewhere nice and normal.

"We're going for breakfast. I gather you didn't have any before you hopped in your shower?" He had somewhat of a grin on his face. I remembered the incident this morning and inwardly groaned again.

"No, I didn't." I replied quickly, turned away from him to look out my passenger window.

Sooner than I expected, we were slowing down and pulling into a free parking spot alongside the street. There was nothing special about this street. No ballrooms, no fancy restaurants. I looked over to Tony questioningly but he simply smiled at me and proceeded to get out of his car. I quickly followed suit and exited the vehicle. Tony had been walking around the back on the car again and I realised he had been going to open my door for me again. I was suddenly touched. Even though it was such an easy thing to do, no one had ever done that for me.

As I stepped up onto the sidewalk, the first thing I saw was a nice little diner. Tony walked up to the door, pushed it open (a little bell jingled inside) and motioned for me to enter first. I smiled at him and stepped inside. It was a relatively small diner, with the only places to sit being the booths lining the front windows and the stools lined up in front of the counter.

Tony gestured to the booth nestled right at the end of the window. As I sat down, Tony sitting opposite me, I had a good look around. There were only a few people eating here and luckily none of them had recognized him.

"What are we doing here?" I asked him, resting my arms upon the tabletop.

"Eating," He replied with a grin. "This is one of my favourite places to eat. They do great breakfasts."

I smiled. So maybe Tony Stark wasn't really a high class, snobby billionaire as he had sometimes been portrayed by the media. Maybe they'd over exaggerated his ways with women too. I found myself hoping that this was the case.

I picked up one of the laminated menus on the table and scanned through the breakfast they had to offer. Tony was simply sitting there, looking at me with a slight smile. With him staring to intently, I suddenly became self conscious.

"Uhh...I'll have the blueberry pancakes." I said, placing the menu back down on the table. "What about you?"

"The Big Breakfast." He replied instantly. It was obvious he'd been here before, as he'd said.

I glanced down on the menu to see exactly what was in that meal. Toast, Bacon, Eggs, Sausage, Hot chips. Wow. The picture of the meal looked absolutely mouth watering. And huge.

At that moment a waitress in a '60 style dress approached our table. "What can I get ya?"

"The blueberry pancakes and The Big Breakfast, thanks." Tony smiled sweetly at her.

She smiled back, wrote down our order and left. I was surprised she hadn't reacted to seeing Tony Stark eating at her Diner. It was either 1: She didn't recognize him, 2: She _did_ recognize him but didn't care or 3: He had come here so often that they knew to be discrete about it.

"Okay, so what am I doing here?" I asked, leaning back against the booth seat.

"Eating," He replied again.

"Why did you come to my flat this morning to take me out?" I said, rephrasing my question. "Didn't you get the picture last night that I wasn't interested?"

"Well, I came to your flat this morning to take you out because I wanted to. Plus, I had an interesting conversation with your roommate while you were in the shower," A smile was playing across his face. "Apparently she thinks the only reason you turned me down last night was because you thought she would be angry if you accepted my invitation to dinner."

Oh crap. I hadn't realized Natalia and Tony might have had a conversation before I came out of the shower. So now Tony realized why I had turned him down. But this also meant I had no reason to _keep_ turning him down. I tried to hide my happiness at that fact.

"...So maybe that _is_ the reason why I turned you down...but...I..." I didn't know how to finish that sentence without giving away the fact that I did want to accept his invitation.

Tony was sitting therewith his head titled slightly, smiling at me in a way that said 'victory'.

"Okay, fine. Yes, it would be great to out to dinner with you but you can't blame me for being wary about you! Only people who have been living under a rock wouldn't know about you and your ways with women. And I'm sorry but I don't want to be one of those women you use then throw away!"

I took a deep breath after my rant and closed my eyes briefly. After reopening them, I found Tony still staring and smiling at me but in a different way.

"I understand your hesitance, I do," He leaned forward and rested his hands upon the table. "But as hard as it might be to believe, I'm sick of that lifestyle. I want something more and I've been wanting that for a long time. And then you show up and...there's something about you."

I looked at him curiously. It was obvious by the tone of his voice that the 'something different about me' was a good thing not a bad one so I tried not to smile. But that same tone was serious, so I began wondering if this was for real. Maybe he really did want something more from me. I'm positive he wouldn't go as far as this just to sleep with someone. Part of me wanted to trust him and go for it but the other part was yelling for me to turn and run. I'd had bad experiences with men (some VERY bad; I shuddered at the thought) but something was telling me this was different.

"Okay, I'll go out to dinner with you. But if you're serious about this, you're going to have to prove it to me."

And sex wasn't going to be apart of the equation for some time. If he did want me, he was going to have to wait.

Tony grinned across at me.

"So, how's tonight?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so silly me, I was reading my first story and realised I have made a mistake. In Through my Eyes, Morgan says Jarvis is only 15 but in this one Tony had already just made it, so just ignore that comment in Through my Eyes. :P**

**Anyway, thank you to the few people that are reviewing. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own IronMan.**

**CHAPTER 4**

**Tony**

I listened to the roar of my Saleen S7 as I screeched down into my garage. The purring engine echoed through the room, sounding ten times better as the noise reverberated off the walls. Pulling the car to a stop, I was out in the next second and striding over to my bay of computers.

So I'd successfully managed to convince Clare to go to dinner with me, that was the first step in my plan. The second is to prove to her that I'm out to have her as my girlfriend, not as a one night stand. But I knew this was going to take some time, she wasn't going to let down her defences after just one date.

After breakfast I had driven Clare back to her home before promising to pick her up at 7. I was still concerned about where she lived. It was one of the worst parts of LA, known for housing drug dealers and other types of low lives. Maybe I should ask her tonight why she lives there. I knew for a fact (after a Google Search and going through my database) that both of her parents worked for my company, which explains why she had an invitation to the party last night. But with the type of pay my employees receive, surely they would be able to buy her another home, somewhere much safer.

Making sure not to forget about that information, I began searching the internet for a nice restaurant for tonight. Since I have never actually had a proper relationship before, I have never taken any girls out for dinner, meaning I had no clue about where to take her. I double clicked on a website called La Belle's. It was a nice little Italian restaurant about half an hour from here. Looked alright, plus the drive over would give me more time to talk to Clare.

Just as my hand went for the phone to call and book a table for tonight, it started ringing. With a groan, I picked it up, already knowing who it would be.

"Stark." I said, making sure the irritation was evident in my voice.

"Hey Tony! It's Obadiah. We need you to come into the office. There have been some miscalculations with the new weapons division and it looks like it could take all night to straighten out."

Of all the nights! There was no way I was going to cancel my dinner with Clare. If I did, she may not give me another chance.

"Sorry Obie but I've got plans for tonight. I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning," In Tony language that meant I'd be there at 3 in the afternoon, and unfortunately Obadiah knew that.

"Fine, but I'll be coming over personally at 9 to pick you up. We need this figured out as soon as possible to start work on the new missile." It was obvious he was not happy by my brush off but he'd have to deal with it.

"Yeah, yeah!" And with that I hung up the phone. Obadiah had been one of my Dad's greatest friends and for that I put up with the man but sometimes he was extremely irritating and pushy.

Dialling the number for the Italian restaurant, I quickly made the reservation for 2 people, making sure to ask for the best table in the place. After promising to tipping an extra $50 if the table was set up with candles, I hung up. Glancing at my watch, I saw it was 12:35 p.m. With there still being hours until I was to pick up Clare, I booted up all of my 7 computers and began designing an A.I system for the house. I wanted it to be able to do everything from securing the house to preparing a martini.

It was just past 6 when I finally took a break from the designing program. I'd only spent a few hours of the system and it was almost complete. After a few minutes debating what to call the A.I, I settled on J.A.R.V.I.S. which stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. I thought it was rather clever.

Rubbing my temples, I shut down the computers and exited the garage. I jumped up the curving steps two at a time. As I entered the spacious living room, I turned to look at the stairs I'd just come up. The area looked a bit bare. There was a single plane of glass in front of the two sets of stairs. It definitely needed something, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

With a shrug of my shoulders, I walked over to the next flight of stairs leading to the five bedrooms and five bathrooms upstairs. It was a bit lonely being the only person in such an expansive house. Sometimes I caught myself wishing for someone else to be there with me.

Banishing that thought from my head, I pushed open the doors to my room and was greeted with the sight of the sparkling ocean. One wall of my bedroom was simply glass, resulting in a spectacular view all day, every day. Tearing my eyes away from the view, I walked into the wardrobe. Most of my clothes consisted of suits, plain shirts and jeans. Tonight I wanted it to be a casual dinner but not so casual that I was going to wear jeans. Picking out a pair of black pants, I pulled out a deep blue shirt that reminded me of Clare's eyes. Pulling that on, I grabbed a nice leather jacket and exited my room, not before putting on a dab of cologne.

Walking down the stairs, I realised my hands were shaking. Wow, I hadn't realised I was so nervous. What was it about Clare that got me feeling like this? She was the only girl that could do this to me.

I took a deep breath the calm my nerves. After double checking I had my wallet (didn't want to leave Clare paying the bill) I made my way down to the garage. I scanned my various cars, debating what one to take. I decided to take my Saleen S7 again. I didn't want to be arriving in a different car every time I picked her up. That might put her off a bit.

Sliding into the car, I revived the engine before taking off out of the garage. Slowing down, I lowered my window before leaning out to place the thumb upon the fingerprint scanner. Once that was complete, I punched in the access code and a second later the security gates were opening. Barely waiting until they were open, I accelerated the car and was on the freeway in no time.

My thoughts turned to what Clare would be wearing tonight. Even though I'd only seen her in two outfits (not including her underwear), she was one of those girls who were lucky enough to look good in anything they wore.

As I turned off the freeway and into the streets of LA, a flower stand caught my eye. I swerved across the next lane (earning some honking horns) and into the first available parking spot. Stepping out, I caught a group of men admiring the car. I smirked before walking over to the flower stand. There were so many types of flowers it was confusing. After standing there for a few minutes, the lady managing the stand took pity on me and came over to help.

"What were you after?" She smiled sweetly at me. She was a short woman with long red hair and a huge smile.

"Uhh...something for a first date,"

She immediately began fluttering around her stand, pointing out all the different type of flowers she recommended for me. I was about to give up and leave when I spotted the bunch of roses. I'm sure Clare would be a bit confused if I turned up with a stack of roses for her on our first date so instead I simply bought a single rose. Smiling at my decision, I paid the kind lady and made my way back to my car. By now the group of admirers had almost tripled in size.

Ignoring the usual questions about the car, I pushed through the small crowd and quickly jumped in.

Ten minutes later I was pulling up outside Clare's small flat. Honestly, how she lived in that tiny shoebox of an apartment was beyond me. One day I would like to change that.

Wait...Did I just think about Clare living in my house? Wow, I am seriously going crazy.

Shaking my head, I hoped out of my car and checked the time. 7:03 p.m. Thank God I wasn't late. That was the last way to impress Clare.

I'd barely knocked once on the door before it was swung open. Standing before me was Clare's roommate, Natalia. Amazed that I had actually remembered the girl's name, I flashed her a brilliant smile.

"Hi Tony! Clare's almost ready, why don't you come in to wait, she shouldn't be long," She stood aside to let me in. As I passed, I couldn't help but notice the way she pushed her chest out and the fact that she had on a silk dress, despite the fact that she seemed to be simply sitting at home. Grinning, I took the same place on the small couch as I did this morning. Natalia plopped herself down opposite me and began playing with her short brown hair.

"Oh, you would not believe Clare today! She's been running around, frantic, trying to find the perfect dress and fussing over her hair. Oh wait till you see her, she looks beautiful!"

As if on cue, one of the three doors along the back wall swung open to reveal the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Tonight Clare was wearing a simply black silk dress that went in at the waist and ended just above the knees. Her hair was back into a messy bun again and she wore a pair of black heels which made her long legs even sexier.

I stood up from the couch immediately and looked over her once again. She wore a big grin upon her face, making me relax that she was actually looking forward to this and not just forcing herself. As she walked over to where we stood, I offered her the rose I had placed in my inner jacket pocket. Her grin got even bigger as she saw what I held.

"You looking absolutely amazing," I offered her a smile before handing her the rose. She took it with a smile, and a slight blush that was staining her cheeks.

"Thank you," She replied, returning the smile.

"Come on! Off you go!" Natalia pulled Clare towards the door by her wrist. I didn't miss the grimace of pain upon Clare's features before Natalia let her go. Looking down, I saw her wrist was covered by an extremely chunky bracelet but I had a feeling I knew what was underneath there.

I averted my eyes before Clare could catch me looking but as I glanced up into her eyes, I saw a look in them that told me she had seen me.

Smiling to ease the tension, I opened the door for her and inclined my head to her when she thanked me.

"See you Natalia!" She smiled and waved before her roommate closed the door.

Being a gentleman, I opened the car door for her, smiling as I saw she was still holding the rose.

"Natalia told me you've been rushing around all day getting ready," I said as I closed my door and started the car. As I glanced over, I saw Clare blush again and look out the window.

"She was just exaggerating a bit. I haven't been running around all day...I just-"

I laughed before cutting across her. I had the feeling if I hadn't she would have gone on for a bit more.

"Don't worry. You look beautiful,"

Clare smiled. We soon began talking as if we had known each other for years, not days. I was amazed at how relaxed she seemed. Most girls had no clue what to say to me when they actually met me but Clare didn't have that problem. We talked about everything from favourite bands to where our each of us wanted to live. That lead us onto the subject of where Clare lived. Turned out her parents had been offering her money to live in any other place but where she currently resided. But Clare and Natalia refused to take their parents money, instead wanting to make a life for their self without someone else's cash.

This just made my admiration for Clare increase tenfold. To know she was struggling but not giving up when it would be so easy to just take the money told him how she wanted to be strong and independent.

Suddenly La Belle's came into view. It had taken longer than I had expected but that would be due to the fact I was actually sticking to the speed limits tonight. As I stopped the engine, I jumped out of the car, ready to walk around and open the door for Clare but she was already out and ready. I grinned before falling in step beside her as we walked to the restaurant. We were greeted at the door by a matradee, a slim tall blonde woman who smiled at me in a familiar way. I didn't miss the fact that Clare rolled her eyes as she took in the woman.

"I have a reservation for 2 under the name Stark."

The woman grinned even more as if my words confirmed her suspicion of my identity.

"Right this way Mr. Stark," Flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder, she walked her way through the restaurant to a small table near the back. As asked, the table had two white candles already burning. Thanking the woman, I turned to offer one of the chairs to Clare. I pushed her chair in as she sat herself down then sat down opposite her.

"Do you make girls swoon everywhere you go?" Clare asked as she eyed the matradee who kept throwing glances their way.

I let out a bark of laughter, my eyes never leaving Clare's. "Jealous?" I asked with a small grin.

"No...Just...curious," She averted her eyes, looking down at the menu.

"Don't worry, I only have eyes for one woman," I watched as she blushed again but kept her eyes down set on the menu.

After glancing at it myself, I settled on the lasagne. A comfortable silence settled over us but I wanted her to keep on talking, so I could know ever more about her.

"So, tell me about yourself," Such a cliché line, but hopefully it worked.

"What do you want to know?" She asked, placing the menu back down on the table in front of her. She looked up at me with those huge blue eyes and suddenly my nervousness was gone. I felt relaxed with her.

"Anything and everything. Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Do you have any siblings? All of that kind of stuff."

"Well, I was born in New York but when I was 13, my parents moved here to work for Stark Industries. I'm an only child but my parents always wanted another kid. I was kind of jealous when they talked about the idea but after a while I liked the idea of having a younger brother or sister. Unfortunately they never got their wish,"

Tony could sympathise. Growing up, all he had ever wanted was another sibling to play with and have fun. His parents were always working, leaving him in the care of a nanny. He didn't hate them for this. If anything, he envied them. By his age, his father had already met his mother and soon little Tony would come along. But I had nothing, where he had had everything.

"What about you? I didn't take the time to check your Wikipedia page so you're going to have to tell me about yourself," She smiled up at me as she absentmindedly played with a strand of hair that had come loose from her bun.

I laughed at her joke, secretly wondering if she _had_ check my page. "Well, I'm an only child too. I was born and raised here in Los Angeles. I graduated from MIT at 17 and I am CEO of Stark Industries," I found it difficult to talk about myself. Part of it was due to my not so great past, another part was due to the fact that when I normally talk to women it wasn't about myself...that's if we even talked at all.

"Wow, graduating at 17! I heard you were a genius but I had no idea..."

I simply shrugged my shoulders. Other people always thought I was like some super genius but when you've been like that your whole life, you really don't see anything special about yourself. Yeah, not everyone had an IQ of over 200 like myself but to me that seemed completely normal.

"What about you? Did you attend University?" I kept my tone level, disguising the fact that I already knew everything about her past, including recent events. I clenched my fists under the table as what I read yesterday came back to me.

"Uhh..yeah I went to California State University, majoring in Journalism. "

We began talking about her dream job. I learnt that she worked at a down town bar, trying to pay for her overdue school loans and her weekly rent. One day she hoped to work for the LA Times.

We'd only been in the restaurant for less than 10 minutes but to me it felt like hours. I could sit there all night talking to Clare but we were soon interrupted by a waiter, requesting our drinks.

"I'll just have a Coke thanks," It was extremely unusual for me to be drinking soft drink but I wanted to make a good impression with Clare and she didn't seem like the drinking type.

"I'll have the same, thank you," She smiled to the man as he wrote down the order before turning her gaze back to me, missing the once over the man gave her. Once again clenching my fists under the table, I let the man walk away unharmed when all I wanted to do was punch him. I didn't know what was up with me. Normally I'm not the jealous type but with Clare, I wanted her all to myself.

Turning my gaze back to her deep blue eyes, I smiled at her and resumed our conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who is reviewing the story :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with IronMan.**

**CHAPTER 5**

**Clare**

After what seemed like 10 hours (but a glance at my phone told me it was only 3) we were exiting the restaurant. It seemed like all we did was talk about me all night but Tony didn't seem to mind. If anything he wanted to know even more about me. I was a bit embarrassed when I confessed I was working at a downtown bar to pay for my University bills but Tony didn't seem to mind a bit.

Once again Tony had paid for everything. I felt extremely bad. I didn't want him to think I was just after his money.

As we exited the restaurant, I immediately headed for his car but after a glance over my shoulder, I saw he wasn't following me. A frown formed on my features as I spun around to face him.

"The nights not over yet," He smiled and gestured up the street.

Smiling, I began walking next to him. As much as I didn't like to admit it, I was having a great time with him. He didn't seem to be the arrogant, narcissist that they portrayed him as in the magazines.

"So where are we headed?" I asked him, glancing around at the street.

As we walked, my hand brushed against his. I couldn't describe the feeling that went through me when our skin contacted. The butterflies in my stomach doubled and it felt like my skin was on fire. It was amazing.

"Surprise," He replied with a devilish grin.

After a moments silence, I managed to pluck up the courage and slip my hand into his. It wouldn't hurt to give a bit of leeway, we weren't about to jump into bed tonight! As he felt my hand in his, we both looked at each other with a small smile. I'm sure he was use to things going much faster than this but with me he was going to have to take his time.

"Ahh, there!" Tony looked over to me with a beam before pointing with his free hand to a brightly glowing shop straight ahead. As I looked ahead to where he was pointing, as huge grin spread over my face.

"Baskins and Robbins Ice cream! How'd you know that was my favourite?" Every year on my birthday, my parents would buy an ice cream cake from them and turn up on my doorstep with it. Never failed to make me smile.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he slid open the door for me. "I had a feeling," He grinned and followed me inside. The scent of waffles immediately assaulted my nose as I began scanning all the brightly coloured ice cream.

I caught Tony watching me out of the corner of his eye and immediately became self-conscious but after a quick glance at him, I saw the look in his eyes wasn't contempt or judgment, like other guys, rather it was curiosity and, if I was seeing right, desire.

Blushing slightly, I turned my gaze back to the ice cream as a lady behind the counter asked us what we would like.

"Umm...I'll just have a scoop of rocky road," Smiling, I looked over at Tony to see him staring intently at me. After giving me a quick wink, he looked over to the girl.

"I'll have a Brownie Sundae with Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream."

As I looked up to see the picture of what he had ordered, and I felt my mouth drop. It looked huge! It had brownies, ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and nuts. Wow, after the enormous lasagne he'd just eaten, I'd love to see if he could fit all of that in.

The lady smiled and with a nod of her head, set about preparing our ice creams. With a grin, I turned to look at Tony.

"How are you going to fit that in?" I asked, smiling since our hands were still connected.

"Watch me," Giving me another wink, we turned and watched as the lady prepared Tony's ice cream. Watching her pour over the chocolate sauce and whipped cream made my mouth water. I wished I'd picked what he was having but the last thing I needed was those extra calories. I wasn't one of those people who constantly watched what they ate (luckily I was naturally thin), but I know when something isn't going to be that great for your body, and that ice cream looked like one bit would put on 20 pounds.

"Here's your rocky road," The lady said, sliding over my ice cream in a small plastic cup, "And here's your sundae."

Unfortunately, it's kinda hard to hold an ice cream and a spoon and still hold hands with someone. So we dropped our joined hands and picked up our ice creams.

"This one is on me," Before he could argue, I pulled out my wallet and slid over a 50. Tony opened his mouth, but I quickly held up a finger to his lips. Once again when I touched him, my entire body felt like it was tingling. His lips were so soft, I began imagining what it would be like to kiss them.

Getting that image out of my head before I did something I might regret, I turned back to the counter where the lady was handing me my change. I quickly grabbed it before stuffing in into my bag.

Grabbing a spoon for each of us on our way out, I slid the door open for Tony this time, handing him his spoon as I did. He thanked me before exiting the shop, me following quickly behind. The night air was crisp and had a light breeze.

I picked up a spoonful of my ice cream and immediately smiled as I tasted it. As always, it was extremely good. Tony was already getting into his sundae with gusto but somehow he managed not to get a single bit on it on his clothes or face. It was actually entertaining to watch.

"What?" He asked with a grin as he caught me staring at him for just a bit too long.

"Nothing," I smiled and looked down into my ice cream, taking another scoop.

Suddenly out of no where, a group of people with flashing cameras were in our faces.

"What..?" I frowned as I looked over to Tony.

"Get out of here now or I _will_ find some way to sue every one of your asses!" The anger in Tony's voice actually frightened me for a second. The paparazzi got their last few shots before they scuttled away. I would too if I had been on the receiving end of Tony's threat.

I stood still for a few seconds as what just happened sunk in. I'd just been photographed with Tony Stark. Oh God. I prayed that image would not turn up in any newspapers or magazines tomorrow. The last thing I wanted to be seen as is one of Tony's latest one nighters.

Taking a deep breath, I stalked over to a nearby trash can where I dumped my barely eaten ice cream. As I spun around, I saw Tony looking at me with an apologetic face.

"Appetites gone," I mumbled before I continued my way down the street. I heard Tony quickly catching up beside me.

"Clare, I'm so sorry about that. If I had known that they would be here-"

"Don't worry about it," I smiled at him but inside I was still worried about the consequences this would bring.

We were at the car by now, and like me, Tony threw his sundae in the bin, although his was much more eaten than mine had been. The ride back to my place was considerably silent but I tried to keep the conversation up to show Tony I wasn't bothered by what had happened.

As he pulled out the front of my flat, I was relieved to see the house lights off. That would hopefully mean Natalia was already asleep. The last thing I need or wanted tonight was to be interrogated about every little detail of the night.

"Thank you for tonight," As I steadied myself on the pavement, Tony took my hand into his again.

"I hope it was alright...besides the incident towards the end," He really looked sincere as he stared me in the eyes. All my worries about what happened vanished in that second. I'm sure they will be back later but right now everything seemed fine.

"It was. I had a really good time," I hope he saw how genuine I was. That would be the best date I've been on. It didn't involve any groping, lame jokes or the guy 'forgetting' his wallet.

"Good. Would I be able to grab your number?"

Amazingly Tony seemed kind of shy as we exchanged numbers. I couldn't believe I was typing Tony Stark's number into my phone. I still expected him to turn around and say all of this was some big joke.

After each of our numbers were programmed into our phones, Tony walked me up the few steps that led up to my front door. As I turned to face him, my heart started beating a million miles an hour. Slowly he leaned in, his intent obvious. After not even a second's hesitation, I followed his lead and leaned in. He allowed me time to back out if I wanted to but I knew what I was doing...I think.

My hands snaked up around his neck where I pushed him close until our lips connected. I'm not going to say it was the whole 'the world went still when our lips touched' but it was damn close. He had to be the best kisser in the world. I could still taste the chocolate on his lips. After a minute my lungs began demanding oxygen and I had to pull away. I smiled sweetly at him, trying not to make an idiot out of myself. By now on a date I would have embarrassed myself multiple times but tonight I hadn't. Determined to keep it that way, I leaned in, kissed him lightly on the cheek before I unlocked by door and stepped inside. Closing the door, I gave him one last smile before it swung closed.

I stood motionless for a few seconds before I began leaping around our tiny living room. I had just been on a date with Tony Stark! Could my life get any better?

After laying in my bed for what felt like forever, my mind running over the night's events, I finally managed to fall asleep. As my mind drifted off, I wondered when Natalia would begin her inquiry.

Sure enough, in the morning I was awoken by the sound of a familiar squeal. Sighing, I threw back my bed covers to see a fully dressed Natalia jump and land on the end of my bed.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! How did it go! You have to tell me everything! Every little detail! I want to know EVERYTHING!" She was literally bouncing up and down on my bed.

"Calm down Natalia," I sat up on my bed and pulled her down by her hand to do the same. Finally she sat down, but was still bouncing slightly. "The date went fine. We went to a little Italian restaurant then went out for ice cream. The end." I purposely left out the fact that we had been photographed multiple times.

"Oh come on! There's got to be more than that! Did you two kiss?"

"Umm..yes," I grinned and looked away from her as she squealed once again and resumed her bouncing. "Okay, your wayyy to excited so I'm going to have a shower and maybe by then you will have calmed down a bit."

I jumped off the bed, grabbed the first clothes I could find and left by bedroom. As I shut the bathroom door I heard Natalia yell; "Fine, but your going to have to give me the details one day!"

Grinning, I threw my towel over the shower cubicle and undressed.

After a relaxing shower, I began to get ready for the day. Luckily I wasn't due at work until tonight, I wanted to spend the day making sure the last few days of my life had been real. It was still hard to believe Tony Stark was interested in me, plain old Clare. Nothing special about me.

I applied a quick layer of make-up before pulling on a knee-length white and red flower dress. I left my hair to fall into soft waves before putting a small red butterfly clip in my hair. I couldn't help but smile at my reflection as I remembered my late night kiss.

Exiting the bathroom, I threw open my bedroom door and simply chucked my clothes inside, not caring where they landed. I got my bag from the kitchen counter before I grabbed a muesli bar from the cupboard.

"Natalia, I'm heading out to the shops for a bit!" We were in desperate need of bread and milk.

I heard a muffled reply from Natalia's room. Smiling, I headed outside, doubled checked the door was locked, and was on my way.

I'd only made it one block before I realised something was wrong. Every street I went down, people were stopping to stare at me. I was beginning to wonder if I had tucked my dress into my undies but after a glance in a shop window, I saw that wasn't the problem. So why were people staring?

I got my answer at the next street corner. I stopped in my tracks in front of the magazine stand as I spotted my picture on one of the covers. Holy Shit.

I had completely forgotten about the paparazzi from last night. Seems like they hadn't forgotten about me. Staring in disbelief, I picked up the magazine from the stand, practically threw the money to the owner before I was down the street. I bumped into numerous people as I walked but I couldn't give a damn. I finally stopped when I saw a free park bench.

Sitting down, I stared at the front cover once again. The picture wasn't the one I had expected. In fact, I didn't even know they had taken this picture! On the cover was myself and Tony, standing at my front door, our lips locked. Below read the heading "Stark's new mystery woman!"

Heart hammering, I flipped the magazine open, desperate to find the page. But I couldn't even hold the magazine for the fact that my hands were shaking. I forced myself to take a deep breath and steady my hands.

Finally I was able to open the magazine to the right page. In front of me was a double page spread with pictures of last night all over it. Of course the picture of us walking with our ice creams was featured but they also had pictures of us walking hand in hand, and the one from the cover that showed us kissing. But there were two pictures I didn't expect to see. They showed Tony standing outside my flat, one hand pressed up to his lips. The next picture showed him blowing the kiss towards my front door. Looking at those two pictures made my heart break. Either he knew the cameras were there and was simply doing that for their benefit or he really had no idea they were there and he was blowing me a kiss. For some reason I wanted to believe the latter idea.

My smile vanished as I began reading the small article underneath the various pictures. _'Last night playboy billionaire Tony Stark was seen on what appeared to be a date, with a beautiful and busty blonde. It is unknown who the mystery woman is but given Stark's history, she is more than likely one of his recently used models. It is extremely odd to see the well known playboy out on a date, as his relationships usually last one night and do not even leave the bedroom. It is unsure if this is the beginning of a real relationship, a stunt for the press or simply a different strategy to his womanly ways.'_

Leaning back against the park bench, I was surprised to find myself not steaming with anger. The press were simply doing their job and as long as I was dating Tony, these stories would keep on coming. Wait, where did the dating part come from?

Shaking my head, I grabbed my bag and magazine before practically power walking home, the groceries forgotten. I was only in the door for two seconds when Natalia came tearing out of her room.

"OH MY GOD! YOU ARE ON THE NEWS!" Her eyes were wide and disbelieving as she dragged me into her room and pointed to the small TV situated upon her dressing table.

The picture from the front of the magazine was displayed on the screen. I couldn't even listen to whatever the report was saying about me. I just couldn't believe this was happening.

I was pulled back to my senses by the sound of my phone ringing. Pulling it out of my bag, I saw it was my parents. Oh great, JUST what I needed right now.

"_Clare, what the hell do you think your doing?"_

"Mum, calm down and stop yelling." I left Natalia's room and walked into mine, shutting the door behind me.

"_You are going to wreck both mine and your father's career!"_

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After seeing her daughter's picture on the news, all she could do was yell about how this was bad for _her_.

"Mum. Calm down! I'm sorry but I don't think me seeing Tony Stark is going to hurt you."

"_Of course it is! What happens when he dumps you! You're going to get all angry and then we'll be the ones to suffer the consequences. If he fires us because of your little fling, you're going to be in so much trouble! I really thought you were better than this Clare. Your not one of these girls that run around after these types of boys. You're acting like a...a...a slut!"_

"MUM! Could at least ask me about what happened! Ask me what's going on and not just yell at me!"

"_I don't need to know what's going on! I know what's going to happen! You'll get dumped then we'll get fired!"_

"Grow up Mum and realise not everything in my life is about you!"

And with that I slammed my phone shut and resisted the urge to throw it against the wall. How could she be so insensitive? She couldn't even give a damn about what was going on. She was so ready to believe the reports and assume I'm a floozy. Well screw her!

A second later my phone began ringing again. Not even bothering to check the I.D, I threw it open again.

"WHAT? Rung again so you can abuse me some more?"

The voice on the other end of the line made me freeze. _"Clare? Are you okay?"_

It was Tony. Closing my eyes, I took another deep breath before sitting down on the end of my bed.

"Yeah Tony, I'm fine. My mum just rang me after seeing the...reports."

"_About that, I am so sorry Clare. I called every news station and magazine company, asking them to not run the story but they refused my offer. I'm really sorry."_

For some reason, just knowing he had tried to stop this from happening made me feel instantly better. Of course he could just be saying that but for some reason I trusted him.

"It's okay...well it's not okay but it will be in time."

"_Okay...let me make it up to. Go out with me again, but I promise this time no one will know."_

I bit my lip as I thought this over in my head. What could another date do? The damage was already done but if he was to be believed, no one would know about this one.

"Alright. How's Friday?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A HUGE thank you to the people who are reviewing this story. I know I write this in every chapter, but with every chapter I post, I mean it more. It is nice to see people are getting some joy from reading my stories and it always make me smile reading your comments. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own IronMan :(**

**CHAPTER 6**

**Tony**

It had been a month since my first date with Clare and thankfully everything had not gone wrong...yet. There were no more articles in the magazines about us, no more reports on Entertainment Tonight.

In that one month, we had 3 dates. For our second date I took her for a romantic picnic lunch atop one of the biggest hills in LA. I had made sure security surrounded the area so no one was able to get anymore photos, but I made sure Clare never saw them. For our third date, I hired out an entire gold class cinema so it was only the pair of us. And we did not see much of that movie.

I made sure to take it slow with Clare. I didn't want to rush her into anything she wasn't prepared for. But with every time I saw her, my desire for her just grew stronger and stronger. And so did my desire to keep her in my life. At first this had scared me but now I knew what I wanted, and I wasn't going to run away from that.

For our fourth date tonight, I invited Clare over to my house. I knew it was a big step but I felt like we were both ready for it. Plus, she hadn't said no to the idea so that was a good sign. I had attempted to cook for us but after almost burning the house down, J.A.R.V.I.S had recommended forgoing the home cooking. I'd gotten the A.I system up and running two weeks ago and it was going perfect. He did anything and everything I had programmed him to do. Seriously, some times my geniusness surprised me...is geniusness a word?

At 6 o'clock on the dot, the buzzer for the security gate sounded.

"Jarvis, security camera for the gate please."

A second later, the huge window that overlooked the ocean was covered in the image of a taxi waiting at the gate. Normally I didn't let unknown cars enter through the gate but I wasn't about to make Clare trek up my driveway, especially if she was hearing heels.

"Open the gate but don't close it until the taxi has left. If he doesn't leave within a minute, alert me."

"Yes sir." The A.I replied instantly. I don't know why but I programmed the system to have a British accent. It sounded quite...posh.

I watched as the taxi began the drive up to my house, stopping next to the waterfall, before driving back down. The instant the taxi was past the gates, they began closing. I walked to my door and threw it open before Clare got a chance to knock. She stood there with a smile on her face.

Tonight she had gone for simpler clothing. Wearing a pair of jeans and a simple dark purple knit top, she looked stunning as always.

"Hi," I said, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the lips before stepping back to let her enter the house.

"Hey. If your house is half as good as your driveway, you have an amazing place!" She laughed before stepping inside, her eyes immediately scanning her environment.

"Well, I'll let you decide for yourself. How about a tour?"

"Lead the way," She replied, gesturing to the open hallway before entwining her fingers with mine.

"Okay, well here's the living room," I pulled her along into the wide, spacious area before walking towards the kitchen, "The kitchen..."

It took just over half an hour to show her every room in the house, from the entertainment room which contained a huge plasma, to the pool on the veranda that overlooked the beach, and everything in between.

"You have the most amazing house I have ever seen!" Clare was grinning as she looked around.

We had just re-entered the living room when J.A.R.V.I.S spoke.

"Sir, I should advise you that your dinner is losing heat at a rate of 0.73 degrees a minute and will soon be cold."

Clare furrowed her brow, looking around her to see how had spoken.

"Um...who was that?" She turned her gaze back to me, still frowning slightly.

"That's Jarvis. He's my Artificial Intelligence system. I designed and installed him about two weeks ago. He can tell you practically anything and everything," I smiled proudly as I remembered my work. "Go on, ask him a question."

Clare looked a bit hesitant, unsure where to look, but after a second she spoke.

"What's the temperature in Sydney?"

"The current temperature in Sydney, Australia, is 28 degrees Celsius." The A.I answered.

Proud of my creation, I beamed into a nearby security camera. Turning back to Clare, I offered my hand to her.

"Wow. That's...that's one great system you got there," She smiled before slipping her hand into mine. I led her into the kitchen, praying that she wasn't expecting anything grand.

When Clare saw the pizza box sitting upon the counter, she let out a small laugh.

"Yeah...I'm not a great chef and my attempt at roast chicken almost burnt down the house, so I hope you don't mind Meatlovers pizza."

Holding my breath, she turned to look at me, a small grin playing on her lips.

"It's touching to know you almost burnt down your mansion trying to impress me. But it looks like we're a perfect match because all I'm good at making is toast. And sometimes I even burn that!"

Relieved , I beamed at Clare before handing her a plate. I watched as she opened the pizza box and grabbed three slices. She caught me watching her and immediately began putting two slices back.

"No, don't! I like a girl with an appetite," It was true. When your hugging a girl, your don't want to be worrying about if your going to break her.

Clare studied me closely for a second before pulling the two slices back onto her plate. I followed her lead and piled my plate with four slices. I lead her to the living room where I sat down upon my large, caramel brown couch. Clare was a bit hesitant to sit down.

"I don't want to spill anything on your couch..." From the way she was holding the plate, it looked like she was afraid to release her grip upon it.

"Sit." I patted the area of the couch beside me with a smile.

After a second she sat down beside me and relaxed slightly. I flipped on the TV and switched to the movie channels.

"Your choice."

After some debating, we settled on a comedy. We ate our dinner in silence, laughing at the funny, and sometimes stupid, parts of the movie. Once our plates were clear, I sat them on the glass coffee table in front of us and sat back on the couch. Halfway through the movie, Clare yawned and lowered her head to rest upon my leg. She swung her legs up onto the couch, getting comfortable until she was lying down. I couldn't help but smile as she looked up to me from my lap. My hand began absentmindedly playing with her loose hair, stroking it, unknowingly sending chills over her body.

When the movie finished, I thought Clare had fallen asleep but she moved her body so instead of lying sideways, she was now on her back, looking up to me. I stared into her eyes, my hand still stroking her hair. Smiling, she slowly raised herself up from my lap until our faces were inches apart. Closing the gap, my hands went up to the back on her neck as we began kissing. Once again her kiss set me on fire. Out of all of the girls I have ever kissed, none of them have ever been able to make me feel like this.

Without breaking the kiss, Clare sat up properly and swung one leg over my lap until she was straddling me. My hands travelled down to her waist as I began trailing kisses down her neck. I smiled as I heard Clare moan as I nibbled a sensitive spot at the base of her neck.

Taking a bold step, I cupped her bottom in my hands before standing up, her legs still wrapped around my waist. Our kissing continued as I made my way very carefully up the stairs that led to the bedrooms, still expecting her to protest at any moment. As I reached my bedroom door, I paused, giving her a chance to back out. But as she kept kissing and nibbling my earlobe. I took it as a good sign. I pushed open the door and closed it with my foot.

I lowered Clare down gently onto my king sized bed, my hands never leaving her body. I was amazed to find my fingers shaking as I pulled her shirt over her head. This forced us to stop kissing for a moment but the second her shirt hit the floor, her lips were back to assaulting my body. Her hands trailed down to my shirt where she began undoing the buttons.

With some difficulty, I forced myself to pull back, to stare down at her.

"Are you sure about this?"

With a smile she replied. "The fact that you just asked me that answers your question."

Smiling, I lowered myself back down to her.

* * *

**Clare**

I was awoken by the sun beating down on my face. Squinting, I slowly opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. Seeing Tony's bedroom for the first time in the light, I felt my jaw drop. One wall was completely glass which allowed me to see an amazing view of the ocean. I began going through my head all the room I remembered from last night. There were so many that I'd already forgotten half. But what I did remember was walking through the house, thinking how lonely it must be for him to live in such a huge place by himself.

I had to admit, some part of me was prepared to see Tony gone from the bed, a note left to say he was sorry, but no, there he was fast asleep next to me.

As I remembered last night's events, I surprisingly didn't feel any regret. I didn't feel like I had rushed anything or done something I wasn't prepared for. I trust Tony. It's as simple as that.

"Morning beautiful," I smiled as I heard the wonderful sound that was Tony's voice. Rolling over onto my side, I couldn't resist looking up and down his stunning body. Unfortunately, the most stunning part of the man was covered by the sheet.

"Morning." I replied, leaning over to kiss his shoulder. I didn't want to kiss him on the mouth without brushing my teeth first, and without a toothbrush that will be kinda hard. "Thank you for last night." Kind of cheesy but I really meant it.

"Thank you," He replied, his fingers trailing a pattern over the bare skin of my arm. His fingers walked their way down my arm to my wrist were he brought it to his mouth, gently kissing my knuckles. As he meshed his fingers together with mine, I watched as his gaze fell onto my wrist. In the heat last night, my chunky silver bracelet had been discarded, leaving my wrist bare. Over the past month, the bruise had gone down considerably but there was still a yellow discolouring which served as the evidence to a horrid past.

"What happened?" Tony asked gently, his fingers working gently over the disappearing bruise.

I opened my mouth to answer the question with the answer I had rehearsed but I closed it a second later. I wasn't going to lie to Tony. "Uhh...my ex-boyfriend. We had been going out for about 2 months when...one night he hit me," I watched as Tony's eyes darkened at this comment but he didn't say anything. "At first he said the usual things...'I'm sorry, I'll never do it again, I love you'...but then it kept on happening again, and again. I tried to make myself leave but...it was hard. I've heard stories about abuse where the woman is too afraid to leave but I always thought if I was in that position, that I would be strong, I could walk away. But when you're actually in the position...everything changes."

I forced myself to take a deep breath; I wasn't going to shed anymore tears over him. "One night I decided it was time to leave. When he was at work, I grabbed all of my things he'd made me bring over from my flat with Natalia and I left. Of course he didn't give up that easily. Later that night he came around to our flat, practically broke down the front door. As you can see, he grabbed me...almost broke my wrist. Luckily Natalia had already called the police and had bought pepper spray earlier that week. The police came around, took him into custody and promised me he would be put behind bars. But he was out the next day. I put a restraining order against him but that won't stop him if he's determined to get me."

Blinking back my tears, I was touched deeply as Tony pulled me into his arms. "I will never let him get anywhere near you." I tried to be happy about that fact but not even Tony Stark could watch me 24/7. There will eventually come a time when I'm alone and I pray to God that he wont come after me then. "How long ago was this?"

Running the dates over in my head, I answered immediately. "Two weeks before I met you."

Tony pulled me even closer to my chest. "James Shephard" I heard him growl. It took me a second to realise I had never told him his name. I pulled back from his chest to stare at him.

"How did you know his name?" I inquired. I watched as Tony became uncomfortable, realising he let something slip he wasn't suppose to.

"I read your files on the FBI database," He confessed, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry."

I knew I should be angry, even furious that he had done a background check on me. But I wasn't.

"I should be angry...but if anything...I'm flattered. I guess you had to like me to want to know all about me," I smiled gently at him and watched as relief flooded his features. "I'm amazed that you were able to hack into the FBI in the first place!"

He suddenly grinned. "Actually they don't have very good security protection."

I laughed and laid myself back down against his chest. I had just closed my eyes, ready to drift off again when a British voice filled to room.

"Sir, Mr Stane is approaching the driveway. Shall I allow him entrance?"

I felt Tony sigh against my body, as he reached up and ran a hand through his hair "Yes,"

I lifted myself up from his chest, pulling the sheets to cover my body. "I'm sorry Clare, but if I don't see him now, he'll never go away," He leaned over and kissed me lightly on the forehead before he began collecting his clothes from the floor. I watched him as he did, admiring every inch of that divine body.

"That's okay, I'll leave." Luckily my panties were on the floor beside me, so I quickly leaned over the bed, snatched them up and put them on a second later. Unfortunately my bra was on the other side of the room. Sighing, I pulled myself up off the bed and collected my bra.

"No, I don't want you to leave. In fact, I want you to meet Obadiah. He's the closet thing I have to a father and I want you to meet him." Tony was buttoning up a new shirt as he watched me pull on my pair of jeans from last night.

I was nervous about meeting Obadiah but if it really meant this much to Tony, I would do it for him. "Okay," I smiled at him but the butterflies in my stomach began again. It suddenly hit me how serious this relationship had become. Yes, we'd only been on four dates but Tony was ready to introduce me to someone important in his life. It was in that instant I knew I loved him.

I stopped in my actions of trying to find my shirt and stared at him. All I could think was "I love this man." It was frightened at that revelation. What if he didn't feel the same way? There was only one way to find out...

"Ton-" I was cut across by a booming voice coming from downstairs.

"Tony!" I gathered that was Obadiah.

Cursing at the man's timing, I spotted my shirt and quickly pulled it on over my head. Flattening my distressed hair, I took the hand Tony had held out for me. We left his bedroom together and began descending the steps, all the while my stomach still feeling like it was turning inside out. As Obadiah came into view, I saw his eyes widen as he took in our appearance and our joined hands.

"Obie, this is Clare," Tony smiled encouragingly at me as we came to a stop in front of the man.

"Well, this is the young lady from those reports. Pleased to meet you," Obadiah held out a hand to me and I took it without hesitance, trying to come across as confident.

"Pleased to meet you too," I replied.

"I must say, it's nice to see Tony with the one girl for a while," I didn't know if that was supposed to be a compliment or not. But Tony simply wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Well trust me, I'm not letting go of her anytime soon," He grinned at me before kissing me lightly on the cheek. I smiled back but avoided looking in either of the pair's eyes.

"Tony, can I have a quick word with you. We need to discuss the new materials need for the M-27."

"Sure," Tony looked from Obadiah to myself, "Just make yourself at home. There's some coffee in the kitchen if you would like some," He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before walking away with Obadiah.

As I entered the kitchen, I looked back for a second, and I swear I saw Obadiah eying me in a way most unpleasant. It wasn't desire or lust. It was hatred.

I brushed it off, sure I simply saw wrong. I found the coffee machine easily enough, but working it was the hard problem. I'd never really done this before. I loved coffee but mine always came from a shop. ] I was standing there for a few minutes, unsure what to do when Jarvis spoke.

"Miss Adams, would you like me to put the coffee on for you?"

I looked around the kitchen and spotted a security camera in the corner.

"Umm...yes please." I answered, still a bit hesitant about the machine.

A second later, the coffee machine began buzzing and the cup below it began filling with the dark liquid. Once it was full, I removed it and put another empty cup below it. Once full, I removed it and placed them both down on the kitchen island.

"Thank you, Jarvis," Man, that system sure was handy.

"You're welcome Miss Adams. There is milk in the fridge and sugar in the cupboard to your right."

After a quick search, I poured in my desired amount of milk and sugar but stopped as I looked at Tony's cup.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to know how Tony likes his coffee?" Even though I knew the A.I would reply, I still felt a bit silly talking to no one.

"Mr Stark has a dash of milk and one sugar." Following his advice, I put in a dash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar, stirring it with a spoon as my thoughts began to wonder. I could get use to this. Waking up with Tony, making him coffee. As these thoughts went through my head, I prayed I wasn't setting myself up to be disappointed.

A second later, Tony entered the kitchen and smiled as he saw the two coffee cups. I lifted the one that was his and held it out to him. He took a sip then grinned brightly.

"Perfect. Hmm...I could get use to this." He set the cup back down and wrapped his arms around my waist as I grinned like a little school girl.


	7. Chapter 7

**Yay, another chapter! I hope you enjoy it and please keep reviewing! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own IronMan.**

**CHAPTER 7**

**Clare**

Two months have passed since the first time Tony and I made love. Since then things have been going fast but we were both ready. A week after he 'made' dinner at his house, I invited him around to my flat. I must admit, it was a bit embarrassing to have him in my tiny house, especially after seeing his but Tony didn't seem fazed in the least. He looked off sitting on my tiny couch next to Natalia but he was perfectly comfortable.

With a little help from Natalia, I prepared a lasagne for Tony (I knew how much he loved them). We sat around on our tiny couch and happily ate our dinner. Tony kept on complementing us on the amazing dinner but I had a feeling he was just being nice. Luckily Natalia made herself scarce after dinner and left me and Tony alone. Unfortunately since I only had a single bed, Tony was unable to stay the night. But that was the night we decided we were a couple. I hadn't told Tony how I really felt since I tried that first morning at his place but I knew it would be soon.

After another 3 dates, we'd come to our first road block as a couple. Tomorrow was Tony's birthday. And every year he held an enormous party at his mansion. I'd read about it in the magazines every year and it seemed Tony was notorious for being a heavy drinker at his party. I was worried what it would do to us. But if this relationship was going to work, I had to trust him.

I'd spent the previous week racking my brains on what to get Tony. Natalia had tried helping but we hadn't come up with much. What do you get a man that had everything?

I had settled on giving him a photo of us. On our fifth date, a midnight picnic, I took along a camera and took a few snaps of us. I bought a large silver frame with swirls through it and printed out a picture of us. I hoped he liked it. It wasn't much but it meant something to me, so I hope it would mean something to him.

On the day of the party, Natalia dragged me out shopping. We had gone through my wardrobe and found nothing to wear. After dragging me to around 20 shops and forcing me to try on hundreds of dress, we had finally found a dress for me to wear.

I spent around 3 hours putting on my make-up and doing my hair. I wanted to look good tonight. Really good. Slipping into my dress, I spun around to study myself in my full length mirror that was stuck on the inside of my wardrobe door.

Tonight I was wearing a strapless cocktail dress that was a deep purple. It had a medium sized bow around the waist of the same colour and was ruffled slightly at the waist before it ended mid-thigh. I slipped in some dangling silver and purple earrings. I had curled my hair using my straighter and clipped in some fake diamonds to make it sparkle. I'd put on a pair of fake eyelashes and applied some metallic purple eye shadow. As I took in my appearance in the mirror, I had to say I liked what I saw.

Just at that second, there was a knock at my bedroom door.

"Clare! We've got to go!"

Tony had invited Natalia along as well, which I really admired him for. Amazingly, Natalia actually acted normal around him. Each time they are together, I keep expecting her to suddenly scream and jump on him.

"Okay, okay. I'm ready!" A took a deep breath, checked my reflection one last time before I opened the door. Natalia looked stunning as always. She was wearing a blood red dress that was extremely short and extremely tight. But she could pull it off.

"Holy Crap! You look AMAZING Clare!" Natalia spun me around once to get the full effect. I thanked her for the compliment and returned one about her dress.  
Making sure I had my phone and purse inside my little clutch bag, I was almost out the door when I remembered Tony's present was still on my bed. Running after it, I returned to the living room to find Natalia not alone at the door.

With her was a tall, big man dressed in a suit.

"Clare, this guy says he was sent by Tony to pick us up," Natalia smiled and winked at me before returning her gaze to the man.

"Oh. Okay. You are..?" I asked, approaching them.

"You can call me Happy. Mr Stark hired me just last week," He held out his hand for both of us to shake.

As I shut the door behind me, I turned and saw a luxury black car awaiting us. As we approached it, Happy opened the door for us. Quietly thanking him, Natalia slid gracefully into the car, I following but not as graciously. In my head, I was very grateful for the car. It would have been a bit embarrassing to arrive at his party in a taxi.

Happy started the car and pulled away from the curb as I looked down at the present in my lap. I had wrapped it in shiny red paper and stuck a gold bow on the top. I hoped he liked it.

I sat nervously in the car as Natalia chatted eagerly with Happy. The car began to slow as we approached his mansion. There was a long line of cars waiting to be admitted but they were moving at a steady rate. As we reached the gates that were normally closed, two men dressed in black stopped us.

"Names?" He asked, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard.

"Miss Adams and Miss Belfield." Happy replied through the open car window.

The man scanned the list and for a brief second I thought he was going to turn us away, but he ticked our names of with a pen. "Go through."

Tony's winding driveway wasn't very long, but tonight it felt like it went forever. The butterflies in my stomach had returned. Finally we pulled up at the little round-a-bout that was a water fountain.

Deep breaths. Even from inside the car you could hear the music pumping. Happy opened the door for us and I felt my nerves double. I gave him a small smile before slipping out and waiting for Natalia. As she exited, she leaned on Happy for support and I swore I saw her slip a piece of paper into his jacket pocket. She gave him a sly wink before grabbing my hand and leading me towards the doors. I looked around before we went inside and realised I had never seen so may expensive cars in all my life. Everywhere you looked there was Audis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and so many more (Tony had been teaching me about cars).

Eyes wide, I followed Natalia inside. The music was loud and pumping, I could feel the vibrations of it through the floor. I swear, there must have been hundreds of people. And as I looked around, I couldn't help but feel a little envious and jealous as I saw all the beautiful girls and what they were wearing. From their looks, they must have all been models for they were absolutely gorgeous.

Because this was Natalia's first time at Tony's, she wanted to see everything. I showed her around briefly but didn't take her downstairs to his garage or upstairs to the bedrooms. As we re-entered the living room where most of the people were, I spotted a table in the corner that was laden with gifts. As I approached the table, I began to re-think my present. Most, if not all, of the gifts were at least triple the size of mine but I told myself to remember that the size didn't matter and it was the thought that counted.

I placed my gift down carefully and turned around, expecting to find Natalia waiting for me. Instead she was already off dancing with an extremely good looking man. Shaking my head, I circled the room and spotted an ice bucket. I made my way over and was surprised to see it full of mineral water. With a smile, I picked out a lemon and lime flavoured bottle.

Glancing over my shoulder, I took one last look at Natalia before stepping out onto the veranda. I wandered around for a few minutes, my eyes desperately seeking out a familiar face. I soon spotted a clear seat, resting up against the wall. As I sat down, a light breeze blew, making my hair swirl around my face. I'd only been sitting there for a few minutes when I saw Tony walk out onto the large veranda. As it was packed with people, he didn't spot me, but he looked extremely happy socialising that I didn't want to pull him away just yet.

The song changed to another booming baseline as someone sat down beside me. I glanced at them with a smile and saw it was a middle aged woman. She had brunette hair and blue eyes and was extremely good looking (I wondered if some of it was due to botox). I gathered she was a rich business woman here with her husband. I looked back to Tony again and couldn't stop the little smile that formed on my face.

"You must be Tony's girlfriend." The woman sitting beside me said with a smile.

"Um, yes. How did you know?" I asked, a little bit hesitant about who she was.

"Just the way you look at him," She replied with a smile. "I'm Cynthia." She held her hand out which I quickly shook.

"Clare."

As she looked me in the eyes, I was suddenly reminded of my grandmother. She had the same kind eyes and a look about her that was just inviting.

"You must be one special girl," She said, smiling at me politely.

I looked around me for a second before returning my gaze to her. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I see that you are not drinking tonight. This is the first part Tony has ever thrown where he has supplied a non-alcoholic drink," This knowledge suddenly warmed me inside. "And by this time of night, Tony has usually knocked back one too many drinks and is in his hot tub but tonight I haven't seen him take a sip of anything but that mineral water you're drinking. You must mean something great to him."

I looked back over at Tony and sure enough in one of his hands was a mineral water.

"Yeah, I guess I must."

* * *

**Tony**

Where was she? She said she would be here by 8 and it was now 9.

I sighed and picked up another mineral water. I knew how much Clare liked them so I had supplied them along with the usual alcohol. But tonight I wasn't drinking one drop of any alcohol. I wanted to prove to Clare that I was responsible. Plus, it was nice for once to be able to remember everything that was happening. Of all of the birthday parties I have thrown, I have never been able to remember much.

As always, there were hundred of people here. Half of them were just friends of friends. I'd hired another DJ this year and the house was literally buzzing with the sound. I did another round but didn't see Clare. Happy informed me that he had picked up both her and Natalia but I was yet to see either of them.

As I passed the front door again, a tall blonde stood in front of me and smiled suggestively.

"Hi, Tony. Remember me?" She traced her lips with her tongue.

"Nope."

I pushed past her and continued on my search for Clare. That had to be the 10th girl tonight who had thrown herself at me. But I had eyes for only one woman.

I stepped out onto the veranda and spotted an old friend who used to work for me. We began chatting and laughing like we use to. We had just finished talking about the time we almost set my old house on fire when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw Clare sitting with a business associate. Clare looked amazing. The purple dress she wore stood out against her blonde hair, making her shine. Excusing myself, I made my way over to where she was.

"Mrs. Goodwin, good to see you," I said, smiling down at the lady she was sitting with.

"Tony, how many times have I told you?" She looked up at me sternly but I could see the smile underneath.

"Cynthia." I corrected.

She smiled and stood up from beside Clare. She leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. Before she pulled back, she whispered in my ear. "She's good for you Tony. Don't let her go,"

I nodded and smiled at her before she walked away. Sitting down, I leaned over and gave Clare a kiss.

"Happy Birthday," She said with a smile that made my body shiver. "Your present is on the table inside."

I frowned at her playfully. "You didn't have to get me a present. All I wanted was you."

"Well since you already have that, I decided to get you something else. Don't worry, it's nothing big."

I grinned at her before slipping her hand into mine and pulling her up from the chair. I took her around the house, introducing her to the people I knew. When they asked me who she was, I always replied with "My Girlfriend". I noticed every time I said that, Clare would get a big smile on her face.

Most people were a bit hesitant to believe me when I said that but once I repeated it, they began asking all the usual questions. How long had we been together? Where did we meet? How did I manage to hold onto a girl for more than 1 night?

We had just finished talking to a guy named Shaun when I spotted my best friend. Pulling Clare along, I quickly approached him.

"Rhodey!" I laughed as we reached him and gave him a quick, one-armed hug.

"Hey Tony! Oh, whose this?" He asked with curiosity, looking to Clare.

Grinning, I pulled Clare close to me. "This is Clare Adams, my girlfriend."

Rhodey's eyes actually widened as he took in this bit of information. After I introduced the pair, they were talking like old friends. I was so glad to see my girlfriend getting along with my best friend.

"I'll be right back."I promised her before walking over to where the DJ was playing. After murmuring in his ear for a second, he nodded his head and began searching for the right song. I'd just walked back over to Clare when it started playing. It was the song "You'll be in my Heart" but with an upbeat tempo, meaning you could dance fast or slow to it.

Pulling her away from Rhodey with a wink, I took one of Clare's hands in mine, before placing my other hand at her waist. After a moment's hesitation, she grinned at me and began swaying in time to the music.

"Tony, I don't know how to dance," She confessed in my ear.

"Don't worry, I do."

I began leading her around the dance floor, which was really just the living room. People had stopped to watch them and even some other couples had taken to the floor. One of those couples was Natalia with a man I was unfamiliar with. I pointed this out to Clare and she gave a little giggle and a wave when Natalia spotted them. As the song came to a close, I pull Clare in tighter to me before dipping her down. She blushed as she looked around had realised how many people were watching them, but as he pulled her back up, they began clapping. This made her blush even more.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked gently. She nodded her head and I began leading her towards the entertainment room. As we passed the table full of gifts, she paused for a second before grabbing one of them.

"What do you do with all of those gifts?" She asked as we reached the room.

I shrugged my shoulders and held the door open for her. "I usually just donate them to charity."

She looked up at me with wide eyes and a smile on her lips. I closed the door behind me and led her over to one of the cushion chairs. When we were both comfortable, I took a deep breath and opened my mouth but before she said anything, she handed over the present that was in her lap.

"Here. This is from me." She was grinned broadly as I took it from her.

My mind began running ideas through my head as I wondered what it was. Pulling back the tape, I slid out the gift. As my mind registered what it was, I was suddenly touched. No one had ever given me a gift that really meant something. All I ever got was cars, or coffee machines and other appliances. No one had ever really taken the time to buy me a personal gift.

Inside the silver photo frame was a picture I recognised from our fifth date. I had an arm wrapped around Clare and she was leaning her head against my shoulder, both of us grinning like little school kids.

Looking up at her, I was smiling so much I thought my face would be permanently set like this. "Thank you so much Clare. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Clare beamed back at me before leaned over and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. My hands went around her waist as I deepened the kiss. Suddenly what I came in her to ask Clare came back to me. I forced myself to release her from my grasp.

"Clare, there's something I want to ask you," I began to get extremely nervous as I began to wonder what she would say. What if she said no? "I would like you to move in with me."

She looked at me blankly for a few seconds before what I had said sunk in. Her eyes widened as she looked at me seriously. "Are...are you serious?" I nodded my head enthusiastically. "Are you sure?"

"I have never been so sure of anything in my life," I gave her hand a squeeze, praying for the answer I wanted.

"Yes! Yes, I'll move in with you," She beamed at me before pulling me into a tight hug. "But wait...what about Natalia. I don't know what she'll do without me. She won't be able to afford the rent on her own," She pulled back from me as she looked seriously concerned about her friend.

"Don't worry about that. I talked to Natalia last week and she already has another roommate lined up." I was so glad I'd thought ahead about this.

"Then how can I say no," She smiled seductively at me and pulled me close again.

**P.S I forgot to mention in the last chapter (Chapter 6) that there is a hint in there that is tied into the sequal I am writing for Through my Eyes. If you think you spot it, message me and if you get it right, I'll give you a little secret about the sequal :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Please read and review**

**Disclaimer: I can not think of any other creative way to say; I do not own IronMan!**

**CHAPTER 8 **

**Tony**

Clare has been living with me for just over 2 months now. She had settled in well. It had taken her just one day to move all of her things into my house. Now her clothes were beside mine in the wardrobe, the bathroom was full of her beauty products and the fridge was full of food again. Every morning when I entered the bathroom and saw her toothbrush there, it made me smile with the knowledge that I finally had some one. No more one night stands and meaningless sex. I finally felt like I had done something good in my life. And I knew that Clare wanted to be with me for me, and not for my money or influence.

Our life settled into a normal routine. Our romance was mentioned here and there on the news but it no longer made headlines. I had been paying most of the well known magazines to keep it quiet. I no longer went to parties every night. The only parties I went to now were business related ones. Thanks to Clare, I was no longer drinking alcohol like it was water. I could feel the benefits in my body in less than a week. I was no longer waking up groggy and disorientated, I could feel my fitness increase and I had even lost a few pounds (not that I was overweight to begin with).

Clare was now used to Jarvis and was actually quite fond of the A.I system. Now that she had access to a huge, equipped kitchen, Clare felt the need to learn how to cook. Jarvis would often read her the recipe and direct her on what she needed to do. I even caught her having conversations with Jarvis about nothing in particular; just talking like you would with a human. It made my heart warm.

She had all the codes to the house and her fingerprint was scanned into the system so she was able to come and go as she pleased. She was still working at the bar down town but had reduced the hours she worked. Every week she would visit Natalia and her new roommate, Sara. We had even had them over for dinner a few times.

After two weeks living together, we were lying in bed when Clare spoke the words I'd been dying to say to her.

"Tony, I love you," She leaned over and kissed me gently.

It had taken me a few moments to reply as I was stunned. Once I had collected myself, I had expressed how I had been wanting to say those three words for weeks.

Everyday our relationship grew stronger and stronger.

* * *

**Clare**

I awoke today with a smile on my face. Everything in my life seemed perfect. It was like it was too good to be true. With a content sigh, I rolled over, expecting to see Tony beside me. Instead his side of the bed was empty.

A frown formed on my features as I began to run through my mind where he could be. Rolling back over to my side, I reached over and pressed the small button on the square like device situated on the bedside table.

"Hey, baby. Where are you?"

It would take too long to search every room and for some reason I felt guilty if I asked Jarvis where he was, like I was spying or something.

"Sorry Clare. I'm down in the garage." His voice replied over the intercom.

I frowned even more at that. Tony usually waited until the afternoon before he started working on his cars or any latest device he has designed.

"Do you want me to make your breakfast or some coffee?"

"No."

His reply was curt and a second later his intercom switched off. That one word had cut me deep. Normally Tony accepted my offer for breakfast every morning and thanked my greatly for it. I wonder why he suddenly changed?

I knew everything was too perfect. Something had happened. What would make him change overnight. Even though I hated it, I had to ask Jarvis if he knew anything about it. I just wanted to know what was wrong to help him.

"Jarvis, do you know why Tony is acting so strange today?" I asked, not knowing where to look as there were no security cameras in this room (Thank Goodness).

"Today is the 10th anniversary of his parent's death." He replied instantly.

Instantly I felt saddened. We had talked about his parents and their deaths a few times but every time we did, Tony became guarded and withdrawn. I didn't blame him for this. Parents are a huge part of our lives and to lose them so young is tragic.

I bit the inside of my lip. My eyes suddenly fell upon the photo I had given Tony for his birthday. It sat upon his dresser where he could see it every evening and every morning. As I looked at that picture, I suddenly realised what I needed to do.

"Jarvis, can you please get me the number for Happy?"

I showered quickly and got ready as normal. I decided to skip breakfast this morning, I wanted to leave as soon as Happy got here. I applied my usual make-up then began deciding on what to wear. I didn't want to wear black, in case that just made things worse. Instead I chose a simple, white flowing shirt and black casual pants. As I looked in the mirror, I realised I looked like I was going to a job interview. I shrugged that thought off and exited our room.

I descended the steps quickly and checked that the living room was still empty. My phone began vibrating in my pocket. Hurriedly pulling it out, I checked the I.D and answered it quietly.

"Happy, are you ready to go?" I smiled as he said he was waiting outside for us. "Did you get what I ask for? Thanks."

Hoping this would work, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and made my way downstairs to the garage. Pushing in the access code, I opened the door to see Tony typing away on one of his many computers.

"Come one Tony. We're going somewhere."

I walked over to where he was sitting and tried to pull him up off his seat by his arm. That didn't do a lot.

"No, I'm just going to stay here. You go out." He barely even looked up from his work as he replied.

I sighed. I hope he wasn't going to make this difficult for me.

"No, you are coming," I said sternly, attempting to pull him up again. "I don't care what you say."

"Clare, no!" He finally looked at me and it hurt to see the anger in his eyes. Staring straight into them, I looked past the anger.

"Please."

He stared at me. With a defeated sigh, he shut off his computer and finally rose out of the chair.

"Thank you." I said, leaning up to kiss him quickly on the lips.

I took his hand in mine and led him out of the garage and up the steps. As I stepped outside, I went to lock the door but remembered Jarvis did it automatically when both of us left the house. I pulled Tony to the awaiting car and opened the door for him. After following him inside, I squeezed his hand lightly as Happy began driving to our prearranged destination.

Tony barely spoke during the drive, simply sitting in his seat, staring out the window. I kept his hand in mine, squeezing it every now and then but getting no response. As we slowly came to a stop at our destination, Tony finally looked at me. His eyes were wide and a small frown was on his face.

I nodded encouragingly at him and pulled him from the car. Happy had already gotten out and had the flowers I'd asked for in his arms. I took the two bouquets from him and gently handed one to Tony. I quietly thanked Happy again, receiving a nod in return, before I began walking through the cemetery. Tony kept in step beside me the whole way, not asking how I knew where his parent's graves were. I had asked Jarvis if he knew where exactly they were in the cemetery and, of course, he knew.

As we reached the two, tall gravestones, I was amazed at how well kept they were. We stood there for a few moments when I realised Tony wasn't going to say anything. Hoping I was doing the right thing, I cleared my throat and took a deep breath.

"Hi Howard, Hi Maria. I'm Clare. I don't know if you know this but I'm in love with your son. He is the most amazing and kind person I have ever met. I'm sure wherever you are, you are extremely proud of your son and the man he has become."

I blinked back some tears that threatened to fall as I placed a bouquet against his mothers' grave. Turning back to Tony, the tears began to form again as I saw the tears that were making their way down his cheeks. He looked up to the sky above before stepping forward and placing the other bouquet against his fathers' grave. The silence consumed us as I began to step back.

"I'll give you some time alone," I said quietly, turning around to leave.

But I was stopped by a hand on my arm. "No, please stay."

It was hard to look at Tony with the sadness that was upon his face, but with a small nod, I turned back around and bowed my head respectfully.

We ended up staying at the cemetery for over an hour. We sat down next to his parents graves as he told me stories about his childhood. We laughed and cried. Luckily I had brought along a small packet of tissues.

Just as the day began to get chilly, Tony pulled me up off the ground and hugged me tightly. "Thank you," He whispered into my ear. I hugged him back just as tight and kissed him on the cheek. After saying our goodbye's, we slowly walked back to the car. Happy didn't mind waiting for the pair of them, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Even though he had only worked for Tony for a few months, he was glad to see someone caring so greatly for him.

The drive back home was just as silent but this time it was more relaxed. I sat with my head against Tony's shoulder, his arm wrapped around me.

* * *

**Tony**

I was lying in bed that night, my mind running over the day's events. No one had ever done something like that for me. Most people avoided the subject of my parents' death, even Rhodey, but Clare hadn't been afraid to take the bold step and mourn with me. Never had someone taken the time to stop and think about this day for me, not even Obadiah. Clare had done something for me today that I will never forget. It hit me then just how lucky I was to have Clare in my life. I knew she was special but I didn't realise how special she was. As I looked over at her sleeping form, I felt a sudden burst of love for the woman. I never wanted to lose her from my life.

We had spent most of the day going through my photo albums. I showed her pictures of my parents' wedding, my baptism and my most cherished memories from my childhood. The photos only went up until I was 14. My mother was an enthusiastic photographer and I could never pick up a camera after her death. She had gotten so much joy from taking pictures and developing them that to take photos just felt...wrong.

Clare seemed to enjoy looking through all the pictures. She giggled when she saw a picture of me getting a bath as a toddler and one of me picking my nose. Clare talked about some of her fond memories about her parents and friends. She told me a hilarious story that ended with Natalia getting the nickname "Flashing Failure Natalia". I made a mental note to bring it up next time I saw her.

After some discussion that evening, we decided it was time I met Clare's parents. I have seen them around the office at Stark Industries but we have never spoken. Just thinking about the future meeting sent nerves through his stomach. After hearing about the phone call Clare received from her mother after she saw the news reports, I began to wonder what they would think of me. Would they hate me? I bet they will.

I didn't get much sleep that night, or the other 4 nights before I finally met her parents.

* * *

**Clare**

The introduction went well. I was surprised, considering how my mother had reacted when I had began seeing Tony but today she was nothing but pleasant towards him. I could sense Tony's nerves but he portrayed himself as nothing but confident.

He and my Dad got on like a house on fire. Within ten minutes they were talking about cars. My mother pulled me aside as they began taking about Lamborghini's. She told me how happy she was for me. When I asked her why she wasn't mad anymore, she told me she could see Tony loves me.

"I can see it in the way he looks at you. And the way you look at him."

This greatly took a load off my mind as i had been wondering about what my parents would say when they saw how serious we were.

When the boys had finally stop talking about cars, it was time for us to go. I said goodbye to my parents, Tony and my father shook hands. The most amazing thing was that my mum hugged Tony, especially considering he was their boss. But Tony didn't mind, in fact he was happy.

"See, wasn't so bad was it?" I asked him as we hoped into his car. I knew he had been worrying about the first meeting.

"No. They're great," He grinned at me.


	9. Chapter 9

**Big hug to everyone who is reviewing. Whether it be big or little, I always love reading your comments :) Thankyou**

**Disclaimer: I do not own IronMan**

**CHAPTER 9**

**Clare**

Tony had begun to teach me about cars and now I could even change the oil in a car. I was very pleased.

One day I was sitting on the couch, flipping through the news channels when I heard Tony's voice over the intercom.

"Hey babe, can you come down here for a second?"

A quizzical frown formed on my features as I clicked off the TV and made my way down the steps to the garage. I pushed in the code in the glass door and gasped. Sitting in the middle of the cavernous garage was a shiny, grey Aston Martin. On the bonnet was a huge, red bow.

"Surprise!" Tony grinned and popped out from behind the car.

My mouth was hanging open as I stared at the car. It was sleek and shiny. "Tony...you bought me a car? You didn't have to do that,"

I approached the car with caution, my eyes flickering from the car to Tony.

"Nonsense. I wanted to," He smiled as he walked around from behind the car and took my hand in his. "It's an Aston Martin Vantage, produced in 1972 with only 71 produced worldwide."

I ran my hand over the bonnet, a grin seeping across my face.

"Here," Tony held out his hand, a set of keys dangling from them. Hesitantly, I held out my hand and he dropped the keys into my palm. I still couldn't believe he bought me a car. "Come on, let's take it for a spin."

"I love you," I said with a smile as I threw my arms around him.

"I love you more."

* * *

I had been living with Tony for a year now and everything was perfect. Granted we still had arguments every now and then but everything seemed to work out in the end.

This morning I woke as usual at 7 a.m. After a quick shower, I got changed into a pair of jeans and a simple red Tee. I tip toed down the stairs, trying not to wake Tony as he had stayed up late into the night dealing with Obadiah. I always tried to stay out of the way whenever Obadiah was around. I didn't like him and he didn't like me.

I set about making breakfast, getting out the eggs and bacon. I also put on a pot of coffee as there was nothing Tony liked first thing in the morning than a coffee...well, other than one of his health smoothes but I hadn't gotten the hang of making them yet.

As I got the bacon sizzling in the pan, the smell of the brewing coffee hit my nostrils. I suddenly gagged. Normally I loved the smell of coffee in the morning but now it was making me nauseous. Knowing what was coming, I ran to the bathroom and barely made it in time before my stomach began heaving up everything in it.

This happened every morning for 5 days. Some days it would hit me while I was laying in bed, other times when I was getting ready. Tony was often awoken to the sound of me heaving in the bathroom. He would rub my back to soothe me and dab my forehead with a cloth.

On the seventh day as I lay on the cool bathroom tiles, something crossed my mind.

"Shit."

Crap. Crap. Crap.

I couldn't be pregnant...could I? We hadn't exactly been...careful when we had sex. I was now cursing myself for that. I forced myself to focus. I may not be pregnant. It could simply be a bug or something.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up off the bathroom floor. I made myself get dress and act normal. I had just managed to drink a glass of orange juice when Tony entered the kitchen.

"Sorry babe but I have to run into the office for a while," He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"That's okay," My heart was hammering a million miles an hour as I forced a smile on my face. "I'll cook your favourite dinner tonight,"

He grinned and gave me another kiss on the cheek before leaving for the garage. A stood perfectly still until I heard the roar of his car leaving the garage. Immediately I was on my way. I grabbed my handbag and practically ran downstairs to the garage. I jumped into my Aston Martin, glad Happy wasn't around to drive me. I didn't want anyone to know what I was doing.

I pulled over at the nearest pharmacy I could find. I prayed to God no one would recognise me. That was the last thing I needed. I walked discreetly into the shop and found the aisle with the pregnancy tests. There was about 20 different brands. I had no idea what one to get, I'd never done this before. I grabbed the first one that caught my eye. I quickly read the label and decided it would do. Taking a deep breath, I approached the counter. I kept my head down most of the time, suddenly wishing I'd brought sunglasses or anything to cover my face. I practically ripped the bag from the young girl's hand and left the store. I didn't care about being polite right now.

It seemed to take forever to drive back home but a sigh of relief escaped as the mansion came into view. But that relief suddenly vanished when I drove into the garage. Tony was sitting at one of his many computer desks. As I parked my car, I quickly stuffed the pharmacy bag into my handbag and forced a smile onto my face.

"Hey darling. What are you doing back so quickly?" I walked over to his desk and ran a hand along his shoulders.

"I just had to grab a design I left at home," He grabbed a bunch of papers off the desk and stood up. "Where did you go off to?"

I smiled sweetly at him as he turned to face me. "Just went for a drive," I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. I just wanted him to leave. I wouldn't dare do the test while he was home. I wondered how he would take it if he walked in on me holding a pregnancy test.

"Okay, I'll be back by 4," He kissed me softly on the cheek before jumping into one of his cars. I walked at a normal pace towards the garage door, trying to maintain my appearance of calm. As soon as he screeched out of the garage, I pushed in the code, opened the glass door and raced up the stairs.

I ran to the nearest bathroom and flung open the door. After a second of standing there, I realised I was acting silly. If I was pregnant, it wasn't the end of the world. Was having a child with Tony so bad? I sure didn't think so but I wondered what he would think.

I closed the door softly and locked it. I read the instructions thoroughly twice.

Once done, the test had to sit for 3 minutes. It felt like the longest three minutes in my entire life. I sat on the lid of the toilet, trying not to look at the test sitting at my feet. I checked the back of the box again. Pink cross is pregnant. Blue cross is false alarm. In those three minutes I began thinking about the life I could have with Tony's child.

I forced myself not to get my hopes up. I didn't want to start picturing myself as a parent then have those dreams taken away. After what felt like years, I gathered three minutes had passed and I reached down for the test at my feet.

Pink Cross.

Holy Frick.

Despite the overwhelming hopelessness I was feeling, a smile formed on my face. I was going to be a mommy. I would watch my child grow up, take their first steps, send them to their first day of school, teach them to drive, see them graduate, be their as they got married.

The more I thought about it, the happier I became. I still felt scared at the prospect of becoming a mother but some part of me felt ready.

I spent the rest of the day walking aimlessly around the house, still stuck between pure happiness and hopeless despair. Tony called just after lunch to tell me he would be running late. This actually worked in my favour. I decided to set up a romantic dinner. Tony had done this for me a few times so I decided it was time I did it for him. I also decided I was going to tell him tonight. I wasn't about to keep the secret from him for a couple of weeks as I came to terms with it. He deserves to know just as much as I did.

I set about making a lasagne for tonight. Once I had to duck to the bathroom quickly as I cooked the meat but luckily I held my food down. Once the lasagne was in the oven, I began setting the table. I pulled out a blood red table cloth and threw it over the small circular table on the veranda overlooking the ocean. I placed a few holders on the table to keep the tablecloth from blowing away. I didn't even bother putting any candles on the table. The wind wasn't strong enough to be annoying but it was enough to blow out the candles.

Instead I put a small vase in the middle of the table with a bunch of small red and white roses inside. I set the table with the plates and cutlery and was happy as I stepped back and admired my work.

As if on cue, I heard the roar of a car engine as it pulled underneath into the garage. Quickly I ran upstairs and chucked on a flowing royal blue dress. As I descended the stairs, I was greeted by the sight of Tony grinning up at me from the living room. I quickened my pace and threw myself into his open arms.

* * *

"That was absolutely delicious," Tony licked the last reminiscence of lasagne from his lips with a smile.

I grinned back at him but my nerves were getting worse. I didn't know how to approach the subject to him. Do I subtly start a conversation on kids or just come straight out and say it? How would he react? Would he storm out of the house or jump over the edge of the veranda? Surely I was being ridiculous. Men were told all the time that they were going to be fathers without overreacting.

I hadn't noticed that while I was sitting there with my thoughts, Tony had been staring at me. I looked into his eyes and quick plastered a fake smile on my face. But it didn't fool him.

"Clare, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself all night." Tony leaned forward and took one of my hands into his.

He could read me like a book. I wondered if that was a sign that everything would be okay.

"I have something to tell you," I said softly. Half of my head was screaming for me to shut up but the other half knew he had to be told. My other hand beneath the table was shaking as I took a deep breath, my heart pounding faster than ever before.

"Okay, what is it?" Tony asked, a curious look upon his face.

"I'm pregnant," The words escaped my lips before I knew what was happening. I couldn't bare to look at his face while the words I'd spoken sunk in. I was afraid of his reaction.

Seconds ticked by and the silence persisted. Finally it became too much for me and I lifted my head to see how he was taking it. What I saw took me by surprise.

Tony was sitting there with a huge grin across his face. I smiled hesitantly at him.

"I'm going to be a father?" He asked, his grin widening even more.

I nodded slowly at him, hardly believing what was happening. I hadn't imagined anything like this. I'd imagined anger and fear not happiness and joy. Suddenly Tony was on his feet and pulling me up off my seat into a great big bear hug. I laughed out loud in joy as he literally swung me off my feet.

"I love you so much."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ironman.**

**Tony**

I couldn't believe it. I'm going to be a dad. Me.

It was a shock at first but after I began to think about it, I couldn't be happier. I was going to have a family with Clare. It was amazing.

I was determined to provide everything for Clare and my child. And I was determined to be a better father to my child than my father was to me. Yes, he taught me how to build an engine and showed me how electronics worked but when it came to actual father and son time, he was too busy with work. I wanted to be a great father, to teach my child the things that my father taught me, to take my child to football games, to teach them to ride a bike.

I was amazed at how much my life had changed. I was no longer the playboy millionaire. I now was in a steady relationship and was going to be a father. Years ago I would have hated this thought but now it made me grin with joy. I know my parents would be proud. It made me sad to think my mother would never meet her grandchild. I never really believed in heaven but I know wherever she was, she was happy for me.

Clare told me not to go about getting things for our chil d yet, as it was way too early but I was too excited to take any notice. Two weeks after she told me that she was pregnant, I went out and bought two bags full of toys. Clare shook her head when she saw them but was grinning nonetheless.

I had heard the saying that a woman became a mother when she found out she was pregnant, but a father became a father when the child is born. I was determined to be different. I wasn't about to sit back and just wait until the child is born. I wanted to help Clare, as I knew this would be hard on her.

* * *

**Clare**

I was amazed at how much Tony was taking his father role to heart. Within a few weeks he had already bought a bunch of toys and a small crib. It made me smile to see him so full of joy. I hadn't given much thought to how he would be after I told him of my pregnancy but he was acting like a proper father. I'd had friends whose husbands hadn't done much to prepare for the child until it was already here. I was glad Tony wasn't like them. He was almost as giddy as me these days.

The morning sickness got worse. Usually I would be in the bathroom by 5 a.m., lying on the floor. By 10 a.m, I would have been sick at least 4 times. But the sickness didn't disappear in the afternoon. Tony was sympathetic and wanted to help but I knew there was nothing he could do. He often joked he knew how I was feeling as as a teenager, he spent most of his time next to a toilet or sink. We both laughed.

I went around Natalia's one day to tell her. She was ecstatic. We talked for hours. I made her promise not to tell a soul. Tony and I had both agreed to keep this from the public for as long as we could. I didn't want to see my face splashed across magazines saying things like I was using this child as a way to get money from Tony.

Two months into the pregnancy I began to get cravings for bacon cheeseburgers. Tony would often send out Happy during the day to get me one. Tony even went out at 11 p.m one night to get one for me. And he knew not to bring back one. Come home with less than 3 burgers and I'm not happy.

We went to see a doctor Tony had specifically picked out who told us the baby would be born on the 4th of June. I also had an ultrasound and we got our first view of our baby. I had tears of happiness in my eyes and was surprised to see Tony did too. The doctor pointed out the arms and the legs. Tony said it looked like a blob. I smacked him lightly on the arm but I still smiled.

My first trimester passed quickly and after 22 weeks, my stomach was getting a definite roundness. I began absentmindedly rubbing my stomach, talking to the baby. Tony did the same, leaning down to croon to my stomach.

I was beginning to feel confided, being stuck permanently indoors. Tony could sense my distress. I wanted to get out, go for walks, go shopping with Natalia but I knew I couldn't. One day Tony surprised me by taking me to a giant store dedicated entirely to baby needs. It had baby clothes, maternity clothes, furniture for babies, toys for babies, and everything more. I found out Tony had paid the store to close its doors just for us. He had also made all the employees sign a contract saying they would not speak to the press about it. This touched me more than anything.

I spent the day with Tony, shopping for everything and anything we would possibly need. When we returned home I was exhausted but happy. I now had some good maternity clothes, that could cope with my expanding belly.

Near the end of my second trimester, I began to put on the weight. Seeing the numbers on the scale skyrocket didn't help my confidence. I was naturally a slim girl so it was hard for me to put on the weight without trying to stop it. But I forced myself to remember why I was putting on the weight.  
My ankles began to swell up and my innie belly button became an outtie.

I was sitting on the couch one day when I felt a suddenly pressure on my stomach. Panic rose up in my until I realised it was the baby kicking. Shouting with joy, I ran upstairs to find Tony setting up the baby's crib in our room. He placed his hand over my stomach and grinned brightly when it began kicking his hand.

After some discussion, we both decided we wanted to know the sex of the baby. The next trip to the doctor got our answer. After lathering my stomach with the sticky gel, the doctor told us we were having a girl.

That night while watching the news, I laid my head in Tony's lap and we began thinking of names. Some debate later, we decided she would either be named Samantha or Morgan.

I entered my third trimester and my stomach was continuing to grow. I found out I could rest an ice cream bowl and it and Tony just laughed.

A week before I was due, Natalia surprised me by throwing a baby shower. It was a very small baby shower as we only told a few people. But I was still touched that Natalia went to the trouble. I came downstairs one day to see the living room bathed in pink. Pink balloons, pink tablecloths, pink confetti, even pink lemonade. Natalia was disappointed she couldn't throw a huge party. Tony, my parents, Rhodey and Happy attended. It didn't matter to me that it was small.

I got an array of presents, ranging from a diaper bag to sexy maternity lingerie. I blushed when I opened that one in front of my parents.

The day was fun but it wore me out. I was tired by 6 o'clock. Tony went out and bought home a bacon cheeseburger. I sat on the couch with Tony, eating his own burger, smiling with happiness.

I had just finished my bowl of strawberry and vanilla ice cream and was washing the bowl in the sink when something went wrong. I stood still for a few moments, then I called out for Tony.

He came running into the kitchen a second later, a frown on his face. "What's wrong?'

"I think my water just broke."

Tony went into hyper mode. He carried me over to the couch and then called for an ambulance. We had had a discussion a few weeks ago on how to get to the hospital. Tony wanted to speed me over there in his Saleen. I said no. So we settled for an ambulance. He then ran upstairs to get my prepacked bag for the hospital. It was then the contractions started. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt. As I grunted and moaned in pain, Tony held onto my hand.

The wailing ambulances arrived. I was determined not to be carried out on a stretcher, so before Tony could stop me, I was up on my feet and heading for the door. He quickly grabbed my bag before running after me.

As I was helped up into the ambulance, they told me I had to lie down on the stretcher. I wasn't about to argue as another round on contractions hit me. Tony grabbed my hand again, and as much as I squeezed it, he didn't let go.

When we arrived at the hospital, I had to remain on the stretcher. Tony stayed with me as they wheeled me through the doors and I found out we didn't have to wait as Tony had pre booked a private room ahead of time. I was immensely grateful. Within ten minutes I was in a private room. Tony never left my side.

On the 29th of May at 3:18 a.m. Morgan Elizabeth Stark was born. The nurses said it had been a smooth and easy delivery. I beg to differ. I got to hold my daughter briefly before she was taken away for weighing. Tony was grinning brilliantly at me. I soon fell asleep after.

When I woke up, the clock on the wall told me it was 8:20 a.m. I rolled over in the surprisingly spacious bed to see Tony asleep in the chair beside the bed. I smiled at his messy hair. I was about to press the nurse button when one walked in the room, holding two trays of food. She smiled sweetly at me. "How are you feeling?" She spoke softly, trying not to wake Tony.

"Tired," I smiled back at her. She placed the trays on the small table like thing that swung over the bed. It was then I realised just how hungry I was. My mouth began watering as I looked at the bacon, eggs, toast and hash browns. The nurse told me a few people would be in later to check up on me then I could go see my daughter in the nursery.

I was sitting in the bed, contemplating whether to wake up Tony when he grunted awake. When he saw I was awake, he grinned at me and pulled his chair closer to the bed.

"Hey darling. How are you feeling?"

"Alright. How's your hand?" I recall last night I had been squeezing his hand so hard it had turned purple at one point.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine."

We then got into our breakfast. I was surprised that they had bought a tray for Tony but I suppose the money he was paying them would get him at least a breakfast. And surprisingly the food wasn't horrible. I had never actually been in a hospital long enough to be fed but all I had heard about it was that it was crap. I voiced this thought to Tony who told me with a sheepish grin on his face that they had hired chefs to cook just for me. I told him that wasn't necessary but I greatly appreciated it.

After we finished our breakfast and brushed our teeth, a different nurse came in to check my blood pressure among other things. I didn't even pay attention to anything she was saying. All I wanted was to see my baby.

Finally they told us we could go down to the nursery to see Morgan. Unfortunately I had to go down in a wheelchair. I argued that I was capable to walk but it was 'standard policy'.

So once I was settled in the wheelchair, Tony pushed me to the elevator where he went down a level. As the doors slid open, all I wanted to do was race down the hallway but I forced myself to stay the in chair.

Finally we were standing at the little viewing window at the nursery. There she was, wrapped up in a little pink blanket. Written on the front of her little tiny bed was Morgan Elizabeth Stark. It look surreal, seeing her name written down. A nurse spotted us and ushered us inside. The only time I had seen Morgan had been when I was blinded by the pain I had just been through. Now I got my first proper look at her.

"She's so much tinier than I remember," I said, looking at her tiny little fingers and toes. I looked up and saw Tony had the same smile upon his face that I did. The nurse asked me if I wanted to hold her but I said I wanted Tony to. He'd only held her for less than half a minute when she had been born.

With a little hesitance, Tony slowly took Morgan out of the arms of the nurse. She showed us both how to hold her properly. And then informed us tomorrow she would help us give her her first bath.

She then left us so we could have a moment alone. Tony was still holding Morgan with a look of awe on his face. "Hello little Morgan," He whispered to her, rocking her gently.

"Can you believe it? We're parents."

We had visitors all day. Before lunch Rhodey popped in and cooed all over Morgan. Then came my parents, proud as punch. Just after lunch Natalia burst into the room with a bunch of giant balloons. She literally didn't want to let go of Morgan once she had her in her arms.

After everyone had left, I held Morgan gently in my arms in my bed. She had a little tuff of blonde hair on her head and golden brown eyes. She was perfect.

That night I fell asleep with my child and the man I loved beside me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to everyone reviewing!**

**CHAPTER 11**

**Clare**

We took Morgan home two days after she was born. Even though she was a week and a bit early, we luckily had the nursery ready to go. Tony had painted the walls a pale pink. Her crib was set up in one corner and another corner held all of he toys and presents.

Unsurprisingly, the day we took Morgan home was the day the magazines published her birth. We knew it was impossible to keep every employee in the hospital quiet so we had decided that if it got out then there was nothing we could do about it. Sure enough Happy brought us at least 4 magazines which had Tony on the cover. The headlines ranged from _Tony's A Father; How did he keep it quiet for 9 months? _to _Tony's secret Lovechild!_ That made us laugh. Surprisingly the stories didn't bother me, not when I had Tony and Morgan with me.

They hadn't managed to get a picture of Morgan so they simple used ones of me and Tony.

Of course people began ringing us like crazy. Obadiah was furious. He rang Tony and I could hear him shouting from the other end of the phone. He didn't know how I managed to keep this from him for 9 months but he didn't like it one bit.

* * *

The first few days were difficult. Morgan often woke up twice during the nights, with me and Tony taking turns on who got up. I hadn't realised how much a child made you sleep deprived. I found myself often calling up my mom to ask her various questions on what to do. It felt like we had been chucked in the deep end.

It is weird and scary to know you were 100% responsible for this tiny child's life. That it is totally reliant on you.

Tony began taking pictures of her like crazy. He even got her to smile long enough to take a picture. I had never seen Tony happier even through the sleepless nights. He took Morgan for strolls in her pram around the mansion gardens, he rocked her asleep whenever she cried, he was the first one to make her giggle when he popped up from behind the corner.

Our life seemed perfect.

* * *

Morgan grew a little bigger each day. Soon she was three months old and was adorable. Tony was lavishing her with copious toys. I told him unless he slowed down, she was going to be the most spoilt girl in America. He answered me with a grin.

Although this was one of the happiest times in my life, every now and then a wave of sadness hit me. I could be doing something as simple as brushing my teeth when suddenly the tears began rolling down my cheeks. I had heard of post-natal depression but I didn't want to believe that I had it. I kept on reminding myself of the great future that lay ahead with my Tony and Morgan.

Tony sensed my sadness and tried to help. He set up a slightly romantic dinner one night, having Chinese food delivered since my urge for bacon cheeseburgers vanished. It made me smile but soon the sadness returned.

I was standing in the nursery one day, one of Morgan's tiny hands wrapped around my pinkie finger, when Tony walked up behind me. He hugged me quickly from behind and smiled down at our sleeping daughter.

"I have a surprise for you," Even though I couldn't see him, I could tell he had a big smile upon his face.

"Yeah?" I asked, not taking my eyes off my daughter.

"Yep. I got you booked in tomorrow for a full day at the spa. Massages, facial stuff, the lot."

I could tell from his voice he was proud at the lengths he was going to. I finally took my eyes off Morgan and turned around to face him. He was standing there with a hopeful smile. He knew my weakness. I always loved a day at the spa.

"Thank you. I can't wait." I smiled at him and kissed him lightly. He then stood by me and looked down at our sleeping child.

"I can't believe how lucky I am," Tony spoke softly, making sure not to wake her up. "I have everything I ever wanted."

I took his hand and lead him out of the nursery. Morgan had been getting better at sleeping through the night. Amazingly we didn't have to get up once that night. Before I went to bed, I called Natalia. She hadn't been around a lot lately, as she was getting serious with Ben. This filled me with happiness. I hoped one day she could have everything I have. I told her about the spa tomorrow with joy and she said she wished she could go but the university was piling the work on her.

I got up early the next day and quickly poured myself a cup of coffee before going to see Morgan. Luckily the smell of coffee no longer made me sick. After I finished my second cup, I went into the nursery to find Morgan sound asleep. I really wanted to get out of the house today but I was hesitant about leaving Morgan. I stood at the edge of her crib for 20 minutes, staring at her sleeping face. I couldn't get over how much my life had changed in the past year. If someone had told me 3 years ago that today I would be dating Tony Stark and have a child with him, I would have asked if they were on drugs. But now looking down at our child, I wouldn't change a thing.

Surprisingly Tony entered the nursery then. He had been better at getting up early but he still slept in till around 9.

"You need to get dressed. Happy is taking you to the spa in 30 minutes."

I hated getting Happy up early just to drive me somewhere. I could of just as easily driven myself. After a seconds thinking, I smiled to Tony.

"Okay, I'll go to the spa on one condition: I drive there myself."

Tony gave a dramatic sigh. "I guess."

I was still hesitant about leaving Morgan but Tony saw this and told me that a couple hours at the spa wouldn't hurt anyone, plus he would take care of Morgan. It wasn't the matter of I didn't think Tony was capable of taking care of her by himself, I knew he was more than capable. I just didn't want to leave her and have something happen. I couldn't describe it but I felt like something was heading our way. I told myself I was just being silly.

So after feeding Morgan, I went upstairs and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a flowery top. I chucked my hair into a pony tail and brushed my teeth. After checking myself out in the mirror, I went downstairs to find Tony sitting on the couch with Morgan all tucked up in his arms. The sight made my eyes water. I knew he was going to be the best father to her.

"Okay, I'm leaving," I approached the pair as they stood up from the couch. I quickly bent over to kiss Morgan lightly on her forehead. I then kissed Tony which turned from simple to passionate. Mindful of Morgan in his arms, I pulled back and smiled at him. "Have fun."

He picked up one of Morgan's tiny hands and waved it gently at me as I went over to the stairs. "Bye mommy." He said in a false baby voice. I grinned at him before disappearing down the stairs. The last view I got before I left was Tony gazing down at the child in his arms. It warmed my heart.

I hoped into my Aston Martin and was quickly heading towards the spa. Of course, Tony had picked the most pretentious and expensive spa in town. It was situated in the 'higher end' of Malibu, with the Italian restaurants and boutiques. As I drove to the spa, I couldn't help but notice a small black sedan following behind my car. The windows were tinted so I could see the driver. Driving through the streets, it followed me towards the spa until it pulled over one block from the day spa. I took note of the license plate but then I told myself I was being stupid and put it out of my mind.

Amazingly the 'elegant' spa didn't have its own parking lot and there were no free spaces out the front so I drove further down the block and parked in a public parking lot. It only took 3 minutes to walk back down to the spa. A little tiny bell rang as I entered and immediately someone pounced on me.

"Hi! You must be Clare Adams!" The woman was a short brunette who wore a little bit too much make-up. She was wearing a nice, crisp white uniform, as were the other employees walking around. She guided me over to a small reception desk where she began typing into a computer.

"We have you booked for the day, receiving the full treatment." She looked up at me, as if daring me to say she was wrong. I nodded and smiled at her.

First of was a mud treatment. She left me in a small changing room to change into the disposable underwear they supplied. Once changed, she guided me into a small room where there was three medium sized soaking tubs, all filled with the detoxing mud.

I hopped into the first one and the lady left me alone with some relaxing music playing in the background. I reminded myself to thank Tony again. After just two minutes I could feel all the tension leaving my body.

After the mud bath, I changed back into my clothes and they moved me over to a comfy, squishy chair that, when turned on, massaged my back. While in the chair, someone applied a detoxing facial peel. Then, while still in the chair, I had one person doing a manicure and another doing a pedicure. I even got a glass of wine. Sitting in the chair, I had a lot to think about. I realised I had left my mobile phone at home but it didn't matter, I'd be home in a few hours.

Soon my nails were freshly painted and the mask was removed. After that I had a hot stone massage. I loved every minute.

I was finished just after lunch. When I went to the counter to pay for it, the woman who greeted me told me it had all been taken care of. She wouldn't even tell me how much all of it was. I thanked all of the girls before leaving the shop. The sky had began darkening as a storm approached.

I quickly walked the block to my car, feeling happy and refreshed. As I hopped into my car, I suddenly wished I had my phone so I could call Tony and tell him how much I loved him. After everything he had done for me, this had just been the cherry on top.

I started the car with a smile on my face, chucking my purse into the passenger seat. I stopped at the exit of the parking lot, checking each way to make sure no cars were coming. Just as I put my foot on the throttle and began turning, I heard the acceleration of a car and screech of tires. My heart was suddenly in my throat as I turned my head just in time to see a black car heading straight for my door. The crunch of metal bending filled my ears as the glass from my window shattered around me. I could feel the stinging as it cut my face. Suddenly my car was flipping, my body being thrown around, held only in place by my seat belt. More windows shattered. I could feel blood trickling down my face and I was aware of a searing pain in my right arm. Suddenly the world stopped spinning around me. I realized my car had been flipped upside down. I was still held in place by my seatbelt, my hair was touching the chair roof. I could hear people screaming on the street and threw my shattered window, I could see people running towards me. My vision began to blur, my head was screaming in pain. I looked up at my body to see a long thin shard of glass protruding from my stomach. I gagged in pain, blinking blood from my eyes.

Through this haze, I was able to see the car that had hit me. With shock, I realised by the license plate that it had been the car following me.

Black spots appeared in my vision. I was aware I was dying. I told myself I couldn't die, I had just had a child. Not now. Please not now.

People were talking to me through my shattered window. I heard the word 'ambulance' but the rest was lost. Before I closed my eyes, I saw something that made me frown. Standing on the street, dressed in a suit, was Obadiah. I swear he had a smile on his face.

I could hear the wailing of sirens in the distance but I knew they would be too late.

I made myself think not of death but of Tony and Morgan.

When the darkness claimed me, I had a smile on my face.

* * *

**Tony**

I was happy I got to spend some quality time with my daughter. She was the cutest baby I'd ever seen. I got out the camera again and took a few photos. I wanted to show these to her when she was older to show her just how much she is loved. As I began clicking away, she began to giggle.

I picked her up and held her gently to my chest. I could feel her tiny heart beating. Never did I think I could love something as much as I loved my daughter. I had seen and heard parents say their whole world revolved around their child. I never thought that would happen to me, but it had and I couldn't imagine my life without my daughter in it, even though she was only 3 months old.

To calm her down before her nap, I placed her in her pram and took her out into the gardens. It's not really a big garden but it gets her outside without the paparazzi hounding us. They still hadn't managed to get a photo of her but I knew they would eventually get one.

After she fell asleep, I had a quick lunch: toast. I knew Morgan would be hungry when she woke up so I hoped Clare would be back soon. I didn't know how long these spa things usually take but Clare said she would be back around 2.

So I waited.

I debated going downstairs to work on my cars but I didn't like being so far away from Morgan. Even though he had baby monitors, and J.A.R.V.I.S who always altered us whenever she woke, I didn't like being so far away. So instead I sat on the couch and flipped through the channels. Finally I settled on Top Gear.

Hours passed and amazingly Morgan didn't wake. We had installed a security camera into her room so occasionally I brought it up and watched her sleep.

It was just after three when she woke. After a diaper change, I went downstairs to call Clare. I didn't like bothering her if she was still at the spa but I just wanted to make sure she was okay and check what time she would be home. I dialled her number from memory and heard her familiar ringtone echo through the house. I shook my head. Clare had a habit of accidentally leaving her phone behind.

It was close to five when I really began to worry. Clare should have been home hours ago. I was sitting on the couch, rocking Morgan, debating whether I should call up the spa to see if she was still there when J.A.R.V.I.S spoke.

"Sir, there is a police car wanting to gain access to the property," As he spoke, the A.I brought up the security cameras situated outside. The plasma TV now showed a police car sitting at the gates. It zoomed in to their faces. Their car and uniforms looked real so I asked J.A.R.V.I.S to open the gates. When the police car pulled up, I was already waiting at the door, Morgan still in my arms.

Two police men hopped out of the car and approached me with sober looks upon their faces.

"Mr. Stark?" The blonde one asked.

I assumed this was policy as they both knew who I was.

"Yes. What's going on?"

"Sir, I am terribly sorry to inform you that your partner, Clare Adams, was killed earlier today in a car crash."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

**Tony**

Clare's funeral was small, only family and friends attended. It was simple and quick. I was asked to speak but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew in years I would regret not speaking but it was too much for me right now. As everyone left the church, they said a few words to me and stopped to see Morgan. During the funeral, Morgan stayed scarily silent. It was as if she knew something was wrong. Paparazzi took photos of us as we walked back to the waiting car but I couldn't care less. I knew they would write some piece about how everyone I loved dies in car accidents. Ironic.

It was as if I was running on autopilot. I hadn't been into work, I hadn't seen anyone, I had barely left the house. My whole world had shattered when Clare had died. I couldn't understand why she was taken away from me. I began breaking down. Every time I passed the shelf which held our photos, I would see the picture of us she had given me for my birthday and crumble. I couldn't stand seeing her smiling face in her photos, knowing I was never going to see it again.

Every morning when I entered our wardrobe, I would see her clothes, still hanging next to mine. I couldn't bear the thought of throwing them away. They still smelled like her; like floral soap and something warm. Everyday they reminded me of what I had lost and every time my heart constricted with pain. If I threw them out, it would be like throwing her out. I couldn't do it. It felt wrong.

The thing that hurt me the most was the small little red box sitting upon our...my dresser. Inside it sat the ring I had picked out for Clare, the ring I would have asked her to marry me with. I wished I had asked her sooner, so she would have known how much I wanted to marry her. I had planned to ask her a year ago but when she told me she was having Morgan, I knew she would have said no. She wouldn't want to have gotten married when she was pregnant, as if it was some hurried shot gun marriage just because she was pregnant. I know wish I could go back and ask her. I would give anything to go back.

The police told me there was nothing suspicious with the crash after I had asked them to do more investigating. I had to finally accept it was wrong place, wrong time. I lost hours of sleep, wondering if it wasn't for me and my stupid spa idea, would Clare still be alive?

The only thing that was keeping me going was Morgan. If it wasn't for her I don't know what I would have done. I know that wherever Clare is, she would want me to continue on, to make sure our daughter got everything she needs.

I had been facing a huge dilemma on how to feed Morgan when the milk bank contacted me. They had heard what had happened and began delivering donated breast milk. Without them Morgan wouldn't have survived as she was too young for solids. In return, I began making regular donations.

So every morning I got up, fed Morgan and took care of her, never leaving the house.

Happy regularly called to see if I needed to go anywhere but it was always the same answer. I told him if I needed him, I would call. I didn't want to go anywhere, I didn't want to talk to anyone. How do you continue on when you've lost the one person you truly really loved?  
Rhodey came around a few times but I quickly sent him away. He could see how much I was hurting and he tried to sympathize but he didn't know what I was going through.

After a month after Clare's death, something clicked within me. I knew I couldn't go on like this. I couldn't wallow in self-pity for the rest of my life. Morgan needed a proper father. I knew Clare would want me to live the rest of my life, not waste it in the past. I wasn't about to forget about Clare but I knew I had to remember her life and move on with mine with our daughter. She lived on through Morgan.

Life began to improve once I realized I had to continue on.

Morgan grew each day and was soon needing clothes so I took her with me one day to go shopping. The paparazzi took a few snaps but the media frenzy was dying. I was glad. I didn't want my daughter to grow up with cameras shoved in her face. I grew up like that and I think that contributed to my earlier years with alcohol and drunken sex. That was no life for my daughter.

The months passed. Natalia visited every few weeks, both to check on me and to play with Morgan. One day, 6 months after Clare's passing, Natalia came around with a diamond ring glinting on her finger. She announced she eloped with her boyfriend Ben. I congratulated her and we talked about how much Clare would have loved to be there. She looked hesitant about something and then announced she was moving with Ben to Chicago. She promised she would come back around to say goodbye before she left and visit whenever she was back.

Rhodey began visiting more often when he saw I was getting stronger. He often brought a toy for Morgan, joking that between us, she would get whatever she wanted when she grew up. He would also take her out to the park, giving me some time by myself. He promised he would always be there for Morgan if anything happened to me.

Obadiah had contacted me and came around but I told him I would be doing work from home now, at least until Morgan was older. He told me just to hire a nanny to take care of 'it'. I told him in no uncertain terms that there was no way in fucking hell I was going to go to work while my 9 month old child was with some nanny. He wasn't happy about that but he agreed that he would send me weekly updates as I designed and worked from home.

When I had been with Clare, I had spent less time on my cars than ever before but now they became my escape. Whenever I was down there, I placed Morgan in her 'jolly bouncer' and talked to her about what I was doing. She would watch with wide eyes as she bounced up and down.

After debating for weeks, I decided to pack away Clare's clothes. It was a hard task and I had to stop a few times to wipe my eyes. The only clothing I didn't pack away was the dress Clare had been wearing when I first saw her. I hoped one day I could give it to Morgan and tell the story of how we met, how Clare hated me at first. The memory of it made me smile.  
I also kept her jewellery, planning to give it to Morgan as well, as some reminder and token of the mother she never knew.  
Looking at the packed boxes, I knew what I had to do. Clare wouldn't want her clothes sitting away in some dark corner when they could be of use to someone, somewhere. That afternoon, with Morgan safely strapped in the car, I took the boxes down to the local homeless shelter. They were glad to receive them and one of the volunteers thanked me greatly. As I drove away, I knew I'd done the right thing.

* * *

Before I knew it, it was Morgan's first birthday. I dressed her in a small pink dress and gave her a huge purple teddy. Rhodey and Clare's parents came over to see her and bring her presents. They all cooed over how adorable she looked. When the pink cake was placed in front of Morgan in her hair chair, she had no idea what to do so we all helped blow out the candles. As she ate, I couldn't resist taking pictures of her as she had gotten more cake on her face then in her mouth. I wish Clare could have been there.

* * *

On the first anniversary of Clare's death, I bought a bouquet of flowers and took Morgan to her gravesite. There were already fresh flowers so I knew other people had been here earlier. I placed the flowers on the ground and wiped away a tear that threatened to fall.

"I can't believe it's been a year since I lost you. I miss you more everyday."

I had to stop or more tears would fall. In my arms, Morgan began to cry. It wasn't a wail like most baby's cries. I rocked her in my arms while looking down at the grave.

"I promise I will raise our child as best as I can."

Turning around, I walked back to the car. Morgan's cries subsided as we left.

The most amazing thing happened that night. I had just fed Morgan and was holding her in my arms as I watched _Top Gear_. Suddenly I heard a high pitch voice squeak "Engine!"

It took me a second to register what I heard. With wide eyes, I turned Morgan around in my lap so she was facing me. She looked up at me with wide brown eyes, a big smile on her face. "Engine!" she squeaked again. "Engine! Engine! Engine!"

I called up Clare's parents and held the phone out so they could hear their granddaughter saying her first word. They sounded proud as punch but surprised at her first word. I then called Rhodey who laughed at her first word and said she was going to be a 'mini-Tony but in a girl version.'

That then got me thinking about Morgan's future. What if she did turn out to be intelligent like me? I'd have to wait and see but soon I'd have to think about schools if it did look like she was going to be like me. I had finished high school by 13 but it was extremely difficult, not in the education area but in the social one. 16 and 17 year olds didn't really like have a 13 year old friend with an extremely high IQ.

Now that I thought about it, it would be nice if Morgan did inherit my smarts but I would love her just the same if she didn't.

Two days later, Morgan took her first steps. I had put her play mat down in front of the couch in the living room with her favourite toys and asked J.A.R.V.I.S to watch over her while I made a cup of coffee. To most people this would seem horrific, leaving your child alone with only a machine watching them, but J.A.R.V.I.S was more than a machine and had helped me out often when watching Morgan. I had just put on the pot when J.A.R.V.I.S spoke.

"Sir, Morgan is approaching the kitchen,"

I assumed this meant she was crawling towards the kitchen. I had quiet some trouble keeping tabs on her when she had begun to crawl. I had to put up a safety gate at the stairs going to the bedrooms and the other ones going down to the garage. I then had to lock all cupboards she could reach and was continually running after her as she crawled from room to room, often shouting 'Engine!' as she went.

I walked out of the kitchen then stopped in my tracks. Morgan was on her feet, taking tentative steps towards me. I grinned brilliantly and crouched down, holding my arms out. "Come on Morgan, walk to Daddy!" She let out a little laugh and took stronger steps towards me. She looked like she had been walking for 5 months, not 5 minutes. When she reached my arms, I picked her up and swung her around. She giggled and clapped her hands, suddenly yelling "Daddy!"

I brought her back down to my chest. "What did you say?" I asked her.

"Daddy! Daddy! DADDY!"

* * *

By the time Morgan was 2, she was already reading and writing. Rhodey was amazed. He would often sit on the couch with her and have a conversation. It was obvious that she had inherited my intelligence. I began thinking about schooling but I didn't want her to start too early.

We continued to visit Clare's grave every year on her birthday and the day she died. When she began asking me why she didn't have a mommy, I had to explain to her that mommy was gone. It was hard but she took it surprisingly well. I had gotten out a photo album and showed her all the photos I had taken of Clare, ranging from us on our date to her when she was pregnant with Morgan.

What was amazing is that Morgan had the same love of engineering, design and cars that I do. She had begun to ask me questions when I was working on my cars. When she was 5 she had already designed her own engine but I told her she wasn't allowed to build it until she was older. I didn't want her using the tools until I thought she was absolutely ready. So she settled for watching me work, making recommendations and designing various items she would build when old enough.

When Morgan was 5, I was sitting on the couch with her when she suddenly said she wanted a waterfall. It shocked me at first but after some thought, I began to think it was doable. Within that week the glass wall that stands in front of the stairs was flowing with water. Morgan giggled every time she passed, running her fingers through the water. I warned her not to get too close, I didn't want her to trip and fall.

When she was 7, Morgan begun 6th grade. She was extremely excited to start schooling but after just one day, she came home complaining of the education system. She told me she had already learnt everything they were teaching her. I asked her to stick with it for a few months then we'd see about putting her up a grade. She said she'd only stick with it if she could begin using my tools. I sighed but told her yes, and she immediately begun on her engine.

As Morgan got older, I was amazed at how much she looked like her mother. They had the same wavy blonde hair and the same smile. She had inherited not only my smarts and eyes, but also my attitude. She was often very blunt with people and didn't take any shit. They were quiet shocked at this, especially from a 9 year old girl. She was especially blunt with Obadiah so whenever he was around, I sent her downstairs which was fine with her.

I had begun taking Morgan to dinners and awards. As she was most likely going to be going to them her whole life, I thought it best to get her use to them early. Plus I had been getting endless invitations to awards that I couldn't keep turning down. I thought if I told them I had a daughter they would stop but in fact they kept on coming. So once or twice a week, Morgan was allowed to dress up and attend the dinners with me. She used this as an excuse to go shopping, dragging me along.

At these awards, numerous women were throwing themselves upon me. I hadn't been with a woman since Clare died. I've wanted the contact but restrained myself. I know Clare would have liked me to find love again but I knew these women were not after love. One night something changed, I don't know what it was but I was tired as being seen as the poor man who had lost his partner. That was the night that started it all. Within a month, I was back to my playboy ways. In some ways I hated myself for it but the more I did it, the more I forgot about my pain. I knew I would never find love again but I didn't care.

Most of the women left my house before Morgan was up, Thank God, but she met one or two. At first, she was embarrassed, especially being seen in her PJ's and she didn't quite get why I was doing it. She yelled at me once that I had just forgotten her mum and didn't care anymore. I think over time she understood that these 'relationships' meant nothing. They were a way of looking brave and careless. Soon she stopped caring.


	13. Chapter 13

**So this is it. Another end :( I want to say I have had an awesome time writing this and reading all your reviews. Please feel free to leave any suggestiions for future stories with Morgan. I always love getting ideas from the people who read my stories.**

**And to those few people who regularly reviewed, I cannot thank you enough. As promised, an individual thankyou is below so everyone can see some of the great people out there.**

AdaYuki- Thankyou for your wonderful comments. I loved them.

Astra-The-Goddess- I always loved reading your reviews, you were always so enthusiastic :)

xXMidnightFireHeartxX- You made me laugh so many times with your reviews. Thankyou

ShellyStark- Thankyou for your reviews and encouragement

Carlypso- Your reviews were always welcomed. Thankyou

Addie-lala20- You always said it was fantastic. Thankyou

**For the rest of you who read but didn't review, shame on you! **

**See ya next time!**

**CHAPTER 13**

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea to get a personal assistant. I had one before Clare passed but I had her moved to the Stark Industry office. Taking care of a young girl plus a multi billion dollar company was hard. Plus Morgan was about to become a teenager which I had heard, especially in girls, meant rough years ahead. It would be good to have an assistant, plus if she was a woman, she might be able to help me out if I ever had trouble with Morgan. I had already given her 'the talk' so I couldn't take much more.

So I called Obadiah and asked him to look around for anyone who was interested in being my personal assistant. He said he would be right on it. I think he took this as a sign that I would be going back to the office soon.

Sure enough, two days later he produced a list of 20 people wanting the job. I began immediately looking through the list and my eye was caught by a cute redhead. _Virginia Potts._

* * *

After an interview I knew she was the one for the job. She was perfect, plus very good looking.

I showed her around both the Stark Industry office and my home, since she would be spending a lot of time there. When I introduced Pepper to Morgan, they seemed to like each other which was good. I had chosen Pepper, in part, as I thought Morgan would like her.

Soon they were getting along like a house on fire. Over the next few months, I realised Morgan was looking to Pepper for a mother. She often took her shopping and had helped me when I was stuck.

* * *

When Morgan was 13, her grandfather died of a heart attack. I had always gotten along with Clare's father and I hated seeing her mother alone. I knew what she would be going through I tried to help her through it. Morgan actually cried at the funeral. She had often gone to her grandparents place after school, getting cookies from Margret and talking cars with John. She took it hard but she told me he was now in heaven with Mom.

* * *

I had heard about the teenage years and prepared myself for the worst but Morgan wasn't the usual moody, isolated teenage girl. Granted, she did have her moments but overall she still stayed my happy little girl.

* * *

Morgan had come home crying one day and ran straight up to her room, slamming the door behind her. When I asked her through the door what was wrong, she screamed at me to leave and threw what sounded like a shoe against the door.

Pepper had been answering some emails on her laptop in the living room at the time, so after I asked nicely, she went upstairs to see Morgan. I figured Morgan wanted another girl to talk to. This saddened me more than anything. I had always tried to be there for Morgan but there were some things only a mother could do or teach a daughter. I had asked Morgan if she thought growing up without a mother had been hard on her. She had told me she sometimes wished she had a mother but since she had only grown up with me, she didn't know any different. I remembered going into the teenage stage without both a mother and father had been hard on me but since Morgan had been so young when Clare died, she didn't remember anything about her. I hated that. Knowing that Morgan would never see her mothers kindness and big heart. Photos can only show you so much.

After 20 minutes, Pepper came back downstairs and sat next to me on the couch.

"She had a bad day at school," Pepper explained. Morgan, 13, was now in Grade 11 and, for me, that had been the hardest year in terms of socialising. They had been young enough to still be dickheads but in Grade 12 they stopped being cockheads and grew up. "Girls followed her into the toilets had started calling her a super freak. Morgan retaliated by punched them in the face and stomach."

This made my jaw drop. I had taught Morgan to defend herself, but I never thought she would use it on schoolmates. But frankly I didn't blame her in the slightest. In fact, I was slightly proud of her. Doesn't take any shit, just like her Dad.

"How come I didn't get a phone call from the school then?" Morgan had never been particularly troublesome but I did get a rare phone call every now and then saying Morgan had been back chatting the teacher. In her defence, I did this at school too so I didn't care.

"Apparently the girls were too embarrassed that they got beaten up by a 'nerd', so they didn't tell anyone."

This angered me. They wouldn't go anywhere near my daughter if they knew who she was. After talking it over with Morgan, we had decided to put her in school under the name 'Morgan Adams' instead of 'Stark'. Since many people still didn't know I had a daughter, this allowed her to go to school without being gawked at, and known as 'that billionaire's daughter'.

"Thanks Pepper."

She smiled and went back to the laptop.

After waiting a few more minutes untill I was sure Morgan would have calmed down more, I went up stairs and knocked at her door. After no reply, I slowly pushed it ajar. Morgan's room looked more like a young woman's room than a teenage girl's. It had a 2 cream walls, 1 dark one and one wall was just glass, like my own room, that looked over the ocean. Her walls didn't have posters of boy bands, rather her favourite art pieces. Her bed quilt wasn't pink and purple, rather cream and black. On her dresser was a picture of Clare and Morgan when she was one month old.

Morgan was laying on her stomach on her king sized bed, with a pillow over her head.

"Morgan?"I moved slowly into the room, waiting for her to yell at me to leave again.

"What?" was her muffled reply.

I sat down on the edge of her bed. "Are you okay?"

She pulled the pillow off her head and stared at me. "No, Dad, I'm not okay. Today I got called a freak and pushed into a toilet cubicle!"

I looked at her sympathetically. "Yes, but I heard you got revenge."

Morgan looked a little embarrassed by that. "I guess Pepper told you. Are you mad?" she asked, sitting up on the bed.

"No, in fact I'm kinda proud of you. You don't let anyone push you around. But don't let them get to you Morgan. They don't know how special you are..." I stopped as I saw Morgan throw her hands in the air, let out a sigh of annoyance and flop backwards onto the bed again.

"Don't do the whole 'Your so special' speech". She said, putting on a fake happy voice.

"But its true Morgan," I persisted, "They can't even comprehend how high your IQ is, and they're just jealous because they know you will get further in your life than they can ever dream of. I know exactly what you're going through. When I was your age, people at my school acted the same towards me. This one guy, Mark, liked to tie me to the flag pole. Guess what he's doing now?" I watched as Morgan raised her eyebrows, silently asking 'What?'

"He works for me, fetching the board director's coffee."

Morgan let out a small laugh.

"And one day when you run Stark Industries or your own company, they will be working for you."

Morgan sat up on her bed again and looked at me with a smile. "Nah, they wouldn't even be able to fetch coffee."

We both laughed and Morgan launched herself to the end of her bed where she placed a kiss on my cheek and wrapped me in a hug. "Thanks Dad."

"Come on, I feel like some ice cream." I smiled at Morgan and stood up from the bed.

She grinned suddenly and bounded off the bed. "Race you to the Audi, old man!" She was out the door and gone before I had a chance to blink.

"Hey, who you calling old man?" I beamed and ran after her.

* * *

When Morgan was 13 and a half, she graduated high school. I was immensely proud, as was Pepper, Rhodey and Happy. As Morgan walked across the stage, dressed in her blue academic dress and cap, I began talking pictures like crazy. Morgan would complain later but she was just as beautiful as her mother. Later that night, as Pepper brought in the huge graduation cake I'd ordered Morgan, I realised that although she may not have a mother, she still had a great family. Pepper, Rhodey and Happy all stood around her, each one beaming.

But that attitude didn't last long. The next night Morgan had fallen asleep on the couch. I watched as Pepper gently shook her shoulder and whispered, "Morgan...come on, time for bed."

Morgan groaned and rolled over, still half asleep. "Okay Mom."

Pepper glanced at me, something silent passing between us. No words needed to be said.

Morgan had found a mother in Pepper. Despite the sadness, the thought still made me happy. Pepper had given Morgan what I couldn't; a mother figure, a woman to talk to when in need. I still took Morgan to Clare's grave but she never cried. It was hard to cry over someone you never knew.

* * *

Morgan followed in my footsteps, applying to MIT with double majors in physics and engineering. Of course they accepted her. I had asked her repeatedly if that was what she wanted to do. I didn't want her thinking she had to follow me. But she promised me it was what she wanted to do. Natalia called to congratulate Morgan on getting accepted to MIT. Natalia had visited Morgan a few times and called regularly. Morgan liked her immensely but they weren't extremely close as she lived so far away. But she was always a friend to call to talk to.

* * *

It was hard saying goodbye to Morgan. I didn't like that she was halfway across the country but I told myself that she was growing up. Granted she was only 14 but I remember what it was like when I was 14; my determination and independence.

Pepper, Happy and Rhodey all came out to the airport to see Morgan off. She was using our private jet, which meant it would be easier for her to come home whenever she wanted to.

When the jet left the tarmac, we all had tears in our eyes.

* * *

Morgan enjoyed University life. She was passing with flying colours and for the first time had actual friends that didn't care about her age. She flew home every chance she got, wrapping Pepper and myself in a huge hug each time she ran from the jet.

My heart ached having the house so empty. It would always be full of noise; Morgan playing music, Morgan working on her car, Morgan watching _Top Gear_ so loud it could be heard outside, Morgan chatting with Pepper. You really don't realise how much you love someone until they're gone. That was the case with Clare, as it was with Morgan. I knew I loved her to death but I didn't realise just how much that was. I always wanted her to be by my side, to know she was safe and sound. I would do anything in the world to protect Morgan. But without her here, doubt filled my mind. I had often doubted my abilities as a father but I doubted them even more than ever.

I was sitting on the couch one night when Pepper entered, carrying her laptop. She knew something was wrong with me and after a few minutes of persuading, the truth slipped out.

"Mr Stark, you are one of the greatest father's I have seen. You love Morgan with all of your heart and you have given her every possible opportunity to have a good life. But you've also taught her that not everyone has the same opportunities she does, and that is why she has one of the biggest, kindest hearts. You are a wonderful father."

I saw something slide behind her eyes. It was then I knew what she was thinking of. Most fathers who had lost a partner didn't spend every night in bed with a woman...a different woman every night. I often had moments where this thought made me ashamed but most of the time I didn't care. There was no way I could ever love a woman like I had loved Clare, but I still needed the physical contact; to know I wasn't alone. I knew Clare wouldn't like the way I was, as it was my womanly ways that had made her hesitant to begin with, but I hoped wherever she was, she understood. I didn't want to be alone, but I couldn't love again. Not yet.

* * *

I don't know how I made it through 2 years without Morgan but she was finally coming home.

When Morgan graduated summa cum laude, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. I flew out to Massachusetts to see her graduate, once again snapping away with my camera. I was so glad that she was coming home. The house had been empty without her..._I_ had been empty without her. It was like she had taken a piece of me with her when she left, and now she was bringing it back. All I wanted to do was hug my baby in my arms and let her know how loved she was.

Morgan let out a squeal of surprise when I knocked on her dorm door. I hadn't realised how much she had changed, even though I had only seen her just 3 months ago. Her blonde hair was longer than before, halfway down her back; she was slightly taller and was even more beautiful. Every time she smiled, I saw Clare within her.

She proceeded to show me her dorm room which was surprisingly small. I wondered why she never told me why she was living in a box.

"Dad, I don't mind. It was fun and made me realise that I have it extremely lucky. Besides, I loved living with Cass."

Cass was her roommate. When she introduced me, I was frozen for a second. She looked like the spitting image of Natalia when she was younger. And she acted like her as well. Crazy. But I could see Morgan loved her, even though she was 20 and Morgan was just 16.

* * *

As I watched Morgan pull Cass into a hug, both in their academic dresses and caps, I realised how much my little girl had grown. She will always be my little blonde girl yelling 'Engine!' but she had become a woman before my eyes. She was kind, honest, beautiful and so much more. She was my girl. And she was only 16. I couldn't imagine the kind of woman she will be in 10 years. I grow prouder of her each day. She shines in my eyes.

* * *

It was good to see her back home, where she belongs. The house instantly warmed up. Now when I walked past her room, the photos were back and the room had life.

Pepper surprised Morgan with a graduation gift, a small diamond ring and a flowered wooden frame for her university certificate. Morgan hung it upon her bedroom wall. They were back to getting along like a house on fire. I wasn't surprised to hear that Morgan had called Pepper as much as she had called me at University. They were closer than I could have ever imagined.

Morgan told me one of the things she missed the most was J.A.R.V.I.S. Cass had caught her a few times within the first 2 weeks talking to the ceiling, expecting a reply. That made me laugh.

Morgan sat on the couch for over 2 hours, just talking to the A.I, learning about what had happened while she was away from if I went into her room to me getting caught checking out Pepper's arse. I was in the kitchen when I heard her ask J.A.R.V.I.S if the woman coming into my bed every night had continued. It had.

Margret, her grandmother, came to visit when she came home, telling her how proud she was of her granddaughter. Rhodey also came around, bringing with him a new tool set for her cars. She grinned with delight and hugged him tightly.

She settled back into home well. She often brought me toast or one of my health smoothies for breakfast, we went pack to working on cars together and I wasn't lonely watching Top Gear anymore (Pepper hated it). Morgan had asked me if she could start working with Stark Industries but after going straight for high school to University, I wanted her to take a break and relax. She agreed that in 6 months we would look at it again and see where she wanted to start. She would ultimately take over the company one day but she wanted to get some hands on work before sitting in an office.

But she some times accompanied me to the office, sitting in on some meetings and learning the ropes for when her time comes.

Morgan decided to skip one of the board meetings one morning, working on her Audi TT instead.

Before I left, I reminded J.A.R.V.I.S to remind Morgan when it was time to eat. She often got caught up working on her cars and forgot to eat.

* * *

The meeting went well but I had some news to tell Morgan. I knew she wasn't going to be happy with what I was going to tell her but I was actually excited. I think it would be a good opportunity and would greatly improve our weapons department. Morgan had never really liked that department but she supported me in whatever decisions I made.

"Morgan?"

I called her up to the living room and sat her down on the couch. I prepared myself for yelling and anger.

"I'm going to Afghanistan."


End file.
